Addiction
by Prestige Productions
Summary: The president of Schnee Dust Company is deathly ill and his two daughters are called in to see who is worthy of carrying the family name, as if Weiss didn't have it bad enough, her least favorite wolf sees fit to call in his "favor" and join in on the action. *ON INDEFINITE HIATUS*
1. On Borrowed Time

_**So, yeah another new project for the masses. This time centered around everyone's favorite Heiress Weiss Schnee**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth or else we'd know more about the Schnee family (hopefully Volume 3 fills in some blanks)**_

Gideon Schnee was one of the most powerful men on the planet of Remnant; his great Schnee Dust Company had its tendrils in everything: From the most superfluous of items like toothpaste and soft drinks to a joint partnership with the brilliant minds of the Atleasian military to produce the mightiest of military weapons, the Atleasian Paladin which was now on the front lines of the deserts of Vacuo assisting the Hunters in the area that were tasked with fighting off the latest swarm of Grimm that seemingly had appeared out of thin air. However the greatest of SDC's revenues came from the mining and application of the miraculous material known as Dust, it fueled their machines, powered their weapons, and made the Schnee family's influence so powerful it bordered on the precipice of Godlike.

But not even the greatest of financial titans was immune from the ills of the unseen world.

It had started with a speck of blood that was left upon his handkerchief after a rather hard coughing fit, Gideon thought nothing of it and continued on with the business of keeping his empire running on all cylinders. As the days passed into months, the coughing fits would only come harder to the point where he would have to lean against his desk to remain upright as the speck of blood turned into blots of blood.

And now here the financial titan Gideon Schnee found himself sitting in his doctor's office while his older daughter Winter was furiously typing away upon her scroll as she had been tasked with handling the day to day minutia of handling things in SDC leaving the sickened patriarch to wait upon the results of his latest round of tests.

"Father, it seems another shipment of our Paladin's have been hijacked mid-transport, from what I could glean from the statements taken from the few survivors the perpetrators appear to be the White Fang once again." Winter would sigh as she looked upon her father's withered form as her pale blue eyes grew misty with tears, what was once a man of towering stature had since been reduced to a frail shell of his past self as he sat upon an examination table awaiting news of his fate.

"Curse those blasted Faunus scum!" The frail patriarch would slam his fist upon the table, willing his body not to show any sign of pain from the motion, even as his hand screamed with the force of a thousand suns. "We give them our food, our clothing, we even tried to give them a place all to themselves with Menagerie! Yet they continue to poke and pester at everything the human race has worked hard to achieve with all this talk of equality and fairness, the animals should feel fortunate we allow them to live alongside us much less LIVE at all!" Gideon would rub his aching fist as the doctor finally came into the room, she was a rather modest looking Faunus woman with a fair complexion, an hourglass figure that was expertly hidden beneath the white coat, she could almost pass as a human if it weren't for the fox ears that twitched occasionally.

"I have your lab results Mister Schnee, it appears our last round of Dust radiation therapy seemed to only increase the growth of the disease that is ravaging your body." The woman would sigh as she looked at the man's charts, noting the further decreasing state of his body's immunities. "Are you certain there's no outside sources that in any way be responsible for you contracting this illness, have you been outside the kingdom of Vale at all recently?"

Winter could see that her father's rage was reaching his boiling point as the muscles in his face began to twitch visibly and would set down her scroll with a sigh, knowing she needed to diffuse the situation before he could go on another racist tirade.

"My father's work requires him to be hands-on at certain points, so in answer to your question yes that does indeed require us to travel quite a bit." The doctor would nod quietly as she made a note in the man's medical chart before closing it silently with a stoic look on her face as she looked from parent to child. "I regret to be the one to tell you this, but at this point nothing short of divine intervention will save your life."

Winter would cover her mouth to smother a sob as she looked to her father for some kind of reaction, the older man would just stare down at the immaculate floor as his anger threatened to cause him to consider physically harming the woman in disgust.

"Rest assured that I will be seeking a second opinion from a more reputable source, no disrespect to the military medical staff but I consider your hiring policies somewhat…lacking in standards."

Winter would shake her head silently at her father's off color remark, while she didn't enjoy the White Fang's actions in any sense but that in no way meant she despised the creatures herself.

"Far be it from me to stop you from doing so Mister Schnee but I assure you that any sane physician will agree with our lab's test results, I suggest you avoid wasting your time and money in favor of preparing your last will and testament." The doctor would get up from her seat and step outside leaving the pair of Schnee to their own devices.

"Father, should I contact the family medical team again? Perhaps this time they'll be able to come up with some sort of countermeasure to slow the disease down somewhat-"

Gideon would hold up his palm to silence his oldest born child before letting out a pained sigh as he stood up off of the exam table and proceeded to gather his suit jacket, as pale white as his withered hair was he would carefully drape it over his shoulders as Winter herself scurried to open the door for the ailing patriarch.

"Winter; I fear that this disease may be the result of corporate sabotage, as such our family physicians may be corrupted by the lure of greed and since the military has such shoddy hiring standards we have but one option: Vorbei an der Mantel."

Winter would gasp audibly at the mention of the family's secret ritual of succession, her father had never seen fit to mention the specifics of the Vorbei himself but apparently the fallout was bad enough for his brother, her uncle Sigurd Schnee to completely dissociate himself from the family name entirely.

"Father, you can't be serious about invoking the Vorbei! Weiss is nowhere near ready to assume the perils of the business world while I have been by your side for the last three years, I know EXACTLY how things need to be run in your absence unlike my coward of a sister!"

The ailing businessman would reward her indignant behavior with a vicious backhand slap to the face which left his daughter stunned at his response, those passing by would pause momentarily until his icy glare sent them scurrying along out of terror.

"You shall NOT speak ill of your sister while you are in my presence, being a Huntress is a noble profession that only the truly brave dare to tread. It is a path that I myself once walked before your grandfather invoked the Vorbei upon me!" Gideon would begin the slow walk back to the Schnee family's private Bullwark with a contemplative scowl upon his face, but his progress would be halted by yet another coughing fit that sent him to his knees before reaching for his handkerchief while waving away the security officers who would rush forward to help him back up to his feet.

"Weiss, Weiss, Weiss! Everything always come back to your precious little Weiss doesn't it father?!" Winter would ball her free hand into a fast as she watched her father being helped onto the Bullwark, thus allowing her own anger to remain unseen as she made her way on board to begin the long flight back to Vale.

The flight home to the palatial Schnee Manor, while uneventful had done little to bring peace to either father or daughter and time was no longer on the side of one Gideon Schnee if what that blasted Faunus woman said about his lab results were any indication of the situation. He had to act fast if he were to live long enough to see the Vorbei through to its full conclusion, and the stress caused by this latest round of setbacks would do little to help the older man in that department.

"Blasted Faunus, as if they aren't busy enough trying to tamper with my business through mindless guerilla tactics they have their ilk lying to me about my health with the help of an obviously fraudulent medical degree!" The Schnee family patriarch would be busy inform his closest and most trusted associates with the news of his impending demise as well as what that meant for the SDC going forward, there was no need to discuss any terms of succession as he intended to deal with that particular issue with his daughters. Unfortunately that meant trying to get in contact with his youngest, Weiss, who had lately been insistent upon not returning any of his calls, messages, or in one desperate attempt at communication, handwritten letters.

"Hmm, I doubt that Ozpin fellow would just allow me to remove my daughter from Academy grounds without a legitimate reason. However if I were to cleverly disguise this as a Schnee Company event that required my family to be present, then there's no way that man would dare to refuse my request!" Allowing himself only the most fleeting of confident smiles, Gideon would set upon the task of orchestrating his most daring plan to reunite himself with his estranged daughter and if he happened to drum up some good publicity for the SDC then that would prove to be a worthwhile bonus for a savvy businessman like himself now wouldn't it?

"If this so-called event were to succeed why not only would I know that the company would be left in the proper hands, it might also spark the unification of my family once again!" The ailing businessman would pause briefly in his task to look at the only portrait of his wife with their two daughters, for the woman would die the following night due to the rigors of childbirth.

"Ahh, my darling Krystal, if only you were still with us today. You would be immensely proud of both our little angels. Sadly, I fear it may not be much longer before I am to join you in the realm of eternal slumber. And even then I am unsure if the heavens will deem me worthy to fly alongside you, for not all that I've done would be considered _humane_."

His one way conversation with the late Lady Schnee would be interrupted as another coughing fit overtook him, but this time rather then stopping to smother the blood that was now dribbling down his chin he would continue drawing up his plans for the company-wide ruse that would also double as the test that would determine not only the future president of the Schnee Dust Company but also which of his two daughters would prove a worthy successor to the title "Matriarch."

 _ **I know it's a lot shorter then most of what I give you in a multi-chapter fic but I want this to build up slowly (meaning not AS long as Conversations but nowhere near as short as Roses & Moonlight. Next chapter we really get this ball rolling as this would be considered a Prologue.**_

 _ **Review if you want, PM if you must, but always ALWAYS enjoy yourself**_


	2. Hostage to Another

_**That's right folks, I'm pulling off a hat trick of uploads (it's 11:30 PM as I write this so it counts) Addiction premiered after midnight today (and already has some followers) then came Mmm Gorgeous (Yes it's ridiculous but fans of NXT will get the reference) and now I give you chapter TWO of Addiction**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, so maybe Winter won't be a total racist ice queen, or maybe she will (Volume 3 is still a ways away) Bálor Moonlight belongs to me (or else the Mary-Sue haters would've had him killed following Peaches)**_

"Fuck you Xiao Long! There's no way in hell I'm going out alongside you dressed like..like-" Weiss would find herself at a loss for words for the blonde brawler's choice of apparel: ditching the tan vest in favor of a leather trench coat, her usual top was cut even lower and leaving little to the imagination (if anything) along with a tighter more form fitting version of her usual black shorts. "I'm going to go wait outside while you change out of this..atrocity!" The pale haired heiress would turn around and stomp outside only to find yet another constant additive to her stress level in the form of the silver-haired wolf Faunus and Yang's ex-boyfriend Bálor Moonlight sitting by the door watching his scroll intently.

"Hey princess, everything alright in there?" He would look up from his scroll with a polite smile, which only caused her to bristle with barely restrained fury at the very sight of it. "What the hell are you doing here, we both know Ruby's not here right now!" She would sigh internally as her partner had been called back to Signal Academy at the request of her uncle Qrow Branwen, who also happened to be an instructor at said academy. "Unless you've finally decided to acquiesce to Yang and crawl back on your knees like a worm."

She almost salivated at the thought of the arrogant Faunus crawling before Yang begging to be brought back into the brawler's good graces and being forced to literally lick her boot.

"Nope, I'm just sitting out here just to catch a breather while Jaune and Ren are busy working on some special project for the girls in my dorm room." He would go back to tapping away on his scroll while the heiress looked down at him curiously, leaning down to get a better view of whatever filth the amber eyed wolf was searching for she would be surprised to find instead a website devoted to cooking recipes.

"Cooking recipes? I thought for sure you'd be looking for more wrestling fodder. Perhaps another of your Gun Club shirts to give to my partner?" She would smirk, knowing that her intentionally mispronouncing the name of his favorite faction of wrestling rebels was a pet peeve for the young man. Bálor would visibly twitch at her attempts to anger him, tempted to strangle the frigid ice queen as he remembered seeing her straddling his best friend and fellow Vaudevillain.

"I bet that pack of losers is sitting somewhere in their local watering hole blowing their pittance on bargain basement swill while gloating about their little predetermined victory, the ones I really feel bad for are the wives, they're probably having to deal with the-"

Yang would kick open the door with a snarl of anger while covering her breasts with one arm before looking at the two of them in irritation.

"Both of you compose yourselves RIGHT NOW! I'd like to be able to get changed without my clothes flying all the way up to the fucking ceiling!" She would step back inside before anybody could snap a photo of her, leaving Weiss confused until she got a look at her silver haired antagonist whose eyes were losing their glow and returning to their normal amber hue. _"How the heck was he able to display that kind of power from OUTSIDE the room, the last time I saw him use his powers he was barely able to lift a piece of broken pillar!"_

Bálor would sigh and put away his scroll while taking a shaky breath and getting to his feet and staring at her while clenching his fists intensely. "Enjoy taking your little pokes and jabs Schnee, just remember that I still hold an ace up my sleeve and that I can make you do ANYTHING I WANT!" With that veiled threat hanging between them the wolf would walk off in the direction of the library, grumbling quietly in another language. Weiss would sigh knowing that despite her earlier bravado and arrogance that the amber eyed bastard was right, if it wasn't for some quick lies on his part then there was a good chance that she wouldn't even be at the Academy due to her attempts at having him assassinated by the mysterious Ethel and her own near perverted actions toward Ruby.

 _"That arrogant son of a bitch thinks that just because he holds a secret over my head that I'll be his willing slave, or worse, live in fear of the day he finally cashes in that favor and I'm forced to do something unsavory!"_ The snow haired Huntress would feel her blood boil as she imagined the day where she could skewer Bálor with her Myrtenaster, savoring the light in those amber eyes slowly dying out before finally claiming the crimsonette haired reaper as her own beloved. Once she killed him it would bring an end to the chaos surrounding Team RWBY, allowing them to return to their normal lives and give them time to prepare for the Vytal Festival.

"Alright, alright, is this better for her highness?" Yang would step out in her normal street clothes with a sour look on her face, not expecting the pale haired girl to brush her off as she walked off to go get some air and keep herself from attacking someone who really didn't deserve it.

Winter would be accompanying her ailing father down into the depths of the Schnee family mansion, not surprised that such a place existed within the depths of her childhood home. As a Schnee she had been taught from a very young age that you never show your hand to anyone, it didn't matter whether it was your business rival or your own daughter that was on the other side of the business table before all was said and done.

"Down here lay the deepest, darkest secrets of the Schnee family bloodline, if even a single document from these vaults were to be exposed to the public eye it would mean the end of us as a company." Gideon would say solemnly as they stopped before a gigantic steel door and placed his palm upon the open scanner and glared sideways at her, watching as Winter followed suit as the door's lock finally hummed to life and slowly opened with a loud groan.

 _"Why would father hide something so pivotal beneath our home, if a person were so inclined to venture this far underground and discover this place."_ She would look at the ancient palm pad lock with an air of disgust. _"No DNA signature match, no need for synchronized entry, it's disgraceful how he overlooks such obvious flaws in the system!"_ Winter would sigh as she hurried to keep up with the current master behind the Schnee Dust Company's wave of success.

"Father, why exactly are we down here? I thought you insisted upon invoking the Vorbei an der Mantel before having to come down to such a place." Gideon would look upon his eldest daughter with a quiet stare before slowly making his way to an old jewelry case which was locked by yet another mechanism: an old fashioned combination lock.

"The reason for my bringing you down here my dear has nothing to do with the Vorbei, and I shall thank you to not bring that up again until your dear sister is with us." The older man would open the safe after a few deft spins of the dial before slowly pulling the door open slowly to reveal a pair of necklaces sitting on a soft pillow, the chains were made of a very shimmering silver with hints of blue "ice" Dust layered throughout until reaching the blue sapphire jewel which was cut in the shape of a heart.

"Father, th-they're beautiful…when did you find the time to have these made?" Winter would watch at Gideon removed the closest necklace to him and held it out to her, she would carefully take the necklace from her father with baited breath before admiring the jewel.

"These necklaces were made seventeen years ago, by the request of Krystal Schnee..your mother had hoped to present these to you both when she felt you came of age, however with her passing away so suddenly..it seems that the responsibility has fallen upon my malnourished shoulders." The weathered older man would help her to put on the precious piece of jewelry slowly in a rare display of kindness before setting his frail hands upon her shoulders.

"Your mother would be so proud of you if she were still with us, the level of drive and intelligence you've displayed in these past few years has been nothing short of awe-inspiring, I dare say you've bypassed my own accolades when I was around your age."

Winter would try her best to smother a sob at the patriarch's fond words before turning to face him and taking him in her arms for as gentle a hug she could manage so as not hurt the ailing man.

"Winter, I have all the faith in Remnant that you will succeed in the Vorbei an der Mantel and bring our Schnee Dust Company forward into the next generation, and you will do so while upholding our much valued traditions." Gideon would once again place his hand upon her shoulders while he spoke, stopping momentarily to give a smile before squeezing her shoulders firmly, the warmth in his eyes quickly being replaced by the cold, icy ruthlessness he reserved for his enemies in the boardroom. "ALL of our valued traditions." He would nod and pull away as he began his walk to the door of the vault, leaving the older woman to look down at the necklace she once found beautiful only to now see it as a chain connected to a sapphire anchor. Yet another nail tying her down to the sickening legacy of the Schnee family name that while inspired competitiveness and trust in the business world it also exemplified the horrifying road built upon the backs and hearts of the Faunus that worked for them, the remains of the broken dreams of businesses both great and small that were trampled under the iron fist of the corporate tyrant that was Gideon Schnee.

 _"Mother, I don't understand how you could have given your heart to a monster like him. I would rather have been born a bastard child then live with the name 'Schnee', it's not fair that I'M the one forced to live with the weight of his expectations while your precious Weiss is coddled within the warmth of her precious Beacon Academy!"_ Winter would soon find herself standing before the handprint scanner and dutifully assist her father in reopening the vault door, tempted by thoughts of stabbing her father with her halberd Schwartzwind and dumping the body in the vault while thus using her future share of her inheritance that would come from his death to flee from her cursed life as heiress.

 _"It would be so simple: a quick strike to the gut so his death will be slow and violent, as he so richly deserves, dump the body in the vault and then use some properly placed Dust Crystals to destroy the mansion and leave no trace of the evidence."_ She would be so preoccupied with her fantasies of patricide to notice that Gideon had been speaking the entire time.

"…It will be so wonderful once your sister Weiss finally joins us, we will finally be a united family once again and then things will truly be right in my dismal world." The withering businessman would continue to prattle on and on about his sweet baby girl Weiss, leaving Winter to feel furious as she followed three steps behind him.

 _"Weiss, the little cowardly bitch! Huntress in training, voice of an angel, apple of her mother's eye and pride of her father's loins. She'll need to be dealt with if I am to obtain any Semblance of freedom!"_ She would pause in her stride to let her mind once again wander as she imagined life as a normal woman: Living an honest life free of lofty expectations, married to a strong and noble FAUNUS Hunter with a son of her own, She would do what Gideon nor his bride could ever seem to do properly and teach her child more socially appropriate values such as genuine kindness for his family and tolerance for people from all walks of life. Yes it was a wonderful dream, and one that she longed for more then the one that was being set before her. Maybe it did require some deceit and bloodshed to bring into fruition but Winter was still very much a Schnee, and those kind of tactics were all too familiar for her

 _ **Alright folks, for those of you who've followed Conversations then you know the events that led to Bálor getting his "Ace", and for those who didn't..you just got the cliffnotes version.**_

 _ **Review if you want, PM if you must.**_

 _ **But always, ALWAYS enjoy yourself! ^_^**_


	3. A victim, A target

_**Between site problems and my college classes it has been a nightmare in trying to get anything new for you guys, rest assured I have figured out some kind of an intermediary while I'm schooling away, a simple journal and a pen to work on fanfic ideas in-between my large gaps/breaks/the time I spend holed up in a bathroom riding out anxiety attacks ^_^')**_

 ** _Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth or else ElfCollaborator's Weiss Reacts would make a freaking sweet spinoff. Bálor Moonlight belongs to me, and any other characters, companies, etc. belong to their parent company_**

Weiss would be sitting outside in the courtyard with a glum look on her face, having had to abandon her plans of going out with Yang had left her without much to do: Ruby had left for Signal Academy at the behest of family, Blake had been spending the better part of her time with her boyfriend Sun, it was nice to see the once volatile and driven feline Faunus back to some sense of normalcy following the incidents that proceeded the coming of her conniving savior. Even Yang had managed to bounce back from her failed relationship with the wolf and was currently entertaining thoughts of some kind of a relationship with Fox Alistair of Team CFVY.

 _"Everyone's moving onto the next step, and here I am being held at a metaphorical gunpoint by a psychotic wrestling fan with mental issues and a hard-on for Ruby."_ The heiress would sigh and check her scroll absentmindedly, looking through old photos of herself and Ruby before the amber eyed menace darkened their doors. "I need to get away from this madness, the longer I'm around these dolts the worse everything seems to get for me." Her scroll would beep suddenly, alerting her to a new message and snapping her out of her inner sorrow, she would quickly scan the recipient header and her eyes widened as she recognized the address as the one belonging to her estranged father. "Oh for the love of Dust, can this day possibly get any worse!? She would grumble, preparing to delete the message with extreme vehemence when a message from her older sister caught her eye. "Winter..? Now there's a surprise, she almost NEVER messages me..this must be serious if both of them are trying to reach me." She would open her sister's message and begin reading it carefully, wanting to absorb every bit of it just to avoid any later misunderstandings:

 _Sister,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good spirits, while we may not agree on the path you've chosen for yourself I'm afraid the current circumstances over at SDC (and more importantly home) have forced me to put aside any lingering discontent between us._

 _Father has fallen ill with some sort of terminal disease, the doctors have tried everything from conventional narcotics to rounds of intense Dust radiation therapy with very little effectiveness. It appears to be only a matter of time before he leaves us and departs this mortal coil, please come home Weiss, if not for father than please do so for me. It's been so long since we've seen each other that I fear you've forgotten me altogether, I do sincerely miss you baby sister and while this may not be the most fortuitous of circumstances to do so I believe it is finally time we bury the hatchet between us._

 _Love always,_

 _Winter Verdandi Schnee_

Weiss couldn't help but reread the letter over and over again until the words began to blur due to the tears trickling down her pale blue eyes, it was as if the sky were literally crashing down upon her as she struggled to comprehend the enormity of everything that had just been relayed to her.

"Father..dying, that can't even be possible!" The heiress shuddered as she remembered the last time she had laid eyes upon the now estranged Gideon Schnee: He was a goliath of a man, broad shouldered with piercing gray eyes that could peel away even the most heroic individual's confidence with the same skill most culinary chefs peeled away at an onion. This was the man who had taken the small mining company her grandfather had started from nothing nearly a century ago and turned it into a living, breathing juggernaut of business. He had crushed any resistance underfoot without losing so much as a wink of sleep, to think that this kind of a man could be brought down by some nameless disease was enough to make even Weiss's blood run cold.

"I have to get to the bottom of this, there's no way my father would let some disease strike him down without a fight." She would stand up and head back into the Academy, making a beeline straight for Ozpin's office as she did. "I'll need to have Ozpin formally excuse me for the time being, but at least it will finally get me away from that arrogant piece of garbage!"

Winter would sigh as she waited for a reply from her younger sibling, it had killed her to use such saccharine wording in her letter, but such was a necessary evil in order to have all her proverbial ducks lined up in a row.

"Dammit, all the effort I have to go through just to make sure things go smoothly and that coward makes her way here." The eldest woman would look over at the crystalline chessboard sitting in the corner of her room, she had loved that chessboard since her father had given it to her on her tenth birthday. She had spent her free days challenging the servants to games that would be quickly won, it may have been boring but it had taught her an invaluable lesson: The best way to inspire loyalty in her future employee's was not through the family's usual tactics of fear and oppression, but through subtle manipulation. A frightened ally would only obey you for so long, eventually the fear and the bullying would eat away at the poor soul until they felt they had nothing left to lose and tried to attack their king outright. Granted, pawns could prove to be a tricky but well played gambit on the board but in reality they were easily dispatched and by one of the many waiting in the wings.

"I could have all the crafty pawns I want, but in the end if I want to topple a king like Gideon..I'll need something more unconventional." She would stand up from her seat and walk over to the board; gently caressing the King sitting on what was traditionally the side reserved for the black pieces, Winter had her pieces recently customized to reflect her current feelings toward the family dynamic: The white side had been replaced by a clear diamond set embossed with a twisted version of the SDC's logo, further displaying her hatred of her father's business tactics. The black side had been swapped with a set completely made of the darkest Onyx, symboless and sleek like shadows but with the strength of a mountain. "Soon enough I'll have an army very much like this one, with a king to match." Winter would cradle the onyx piece in her hand, her precious King had never so much had been moved from its place on the board during play but during times of solace the pale haired woman would cherish it in much the same manner a mother would their own child. "Oh my precious precious king, I know you're out there somewhere searching for me. Never you fear my love, soon we will be together: You and I, my dear Faunus prince." She would swoon at the thought of a handsome Faunus swooping in to free her from the impending Vorbei and finally take her away from all this insanity.

"Talking to yourself again there princess?" A black cloaked individual would emerge from the shadows, his face obscured by the hood, this was not the first time the elder heiress would receive a visit from this strange individual. He spoke with a mocking tone but had never once tried to joke with her. "You know if the old man were to see you talking so highly about a "Faunus prince" there's a good chance you'd probably be disowned on the spot." Winter would gasp, nearly dropping her beloved chess piece as she turned to face the mysterious visitor. "Are you just here to mock me, because if that's all you're after then I have no problem in summoning the guards to deal with you!" The cloaked man would simply cross his arms and let out a slight chuckle. "As if. I'm here to let you know that your so-called "prince" will be here by the end of the week, then it'll be up to you to win him over to your side..if you can." The eldest Schnee daughter would set her chess piece down gently, her pale blue eyes never leaving his sight as she tried to regain her composure. "Why should I believe you, you've done nothing but appear from the shadows and leave me with cryptic words about the future of my family's company. Now you stand before me saying that the man of my dreams will arrive in days, you give me no proof, no description, nothing about this prince of mine!" She would remove Schwartzwind from its compartment and point it at the hooded man, her eyes with anger and irritation as she moved to stab him in his lying heart. The intruder would chuckle once again as he calmly walked back into the shadows, leaving Winter to hit nothing but the painting of her deceased mother leaving a gash in what would have been the womb.

"Damn you! You impudent fucking bastard!" The door to her room would be kicked open as several armed guards rushed into the room with their weapons raised, swarming through onto the balcony.

"Lady Schnee, we heard a commotion..is everything alright?" She recognized the voice of the head of her guard, a combat school genius by the name of Maxwell Eberle as he returned from checking the balcony and looking down at the grounds below. Like all of the guards he would be wearing the standard white uniform complete with the company logo, however the main difference between him and the normal rank-and-file troops was the gold bars that adorned the shoulders of his uniform. "I have the men searching the grounds now m'lady, rest assured we will find whatever caused this disturbance." Winter would sigh at the young man's blatant eagerness towards her, it was yet another young turk looking to get himself a piece of the family's wealth. "There's nothing to worry about Maxwell, it was probably nothing but a squirrel so you can cancel your search." Under normal circumstances she would at least pretend to entertain his eagerness for a laugh, but thanks to the stresses of an impending succession paired with the latest round of cryptic words she was in no mood to put on any kind of airs for his sake.

"But..miss Schnee, the men heard you shouting-" Maxwell would try to protest but he would be cut off by the woman's steely gaze as she proceeded to point her halberd at her own guard.

"Get. Out." She would feel her muscles tense as she noticed him debating whether or not to obey her orders, obviously this idiot would need some cajoling into doing as she asked. She would swing her halberd quickly at his shoulder, stripping the gold bars from his uniform with a snarl. "Leave me, or the next one goes through your neck..are we clear?"

The combat school genius would gulp and salute her before signaling to the remaining troops to move out with a simple hand signal, a few of them would even mutter apologies to her as they left the room.

Weiss would be sitting in Ozpin's office as the spectacled headmaster would wait for the younger heiress to finally speak her piece.

"Professor, I came here to ask a favor and I really need you to hear me out on this." The pale haired Huntress would cross her ankles as she watched the older Hunter's mannerisms closely, he was clearly curious as to what she wanted this time and such an outlook gave her hope.

"I'll say this as many times as you make it necessary for me to do so Miss Schnee, I shall not banish a fellow student just because you insist he is some sort of social menace." Ozpin would shake his head dismissively, it wouldn't have been the first time she had stormed into his office with a story full of bluster but zero evidence to back her claims. It probably wouldn't be the last time either given the animosity that existed between the heiress and the wolf.

"Unfortunately sir; that's actually not why I'm here this time." Weiss would sigh as she stared down at her feet as she mulled over her words carefully. "Although if you were to discover what your little pet monster has in store for me, you'd no doubt be on my side." She would shake her head quickly and focus her gaze back on the headmaster with a feeling of determination. "I was recently informed of a family situation that requires my immediate attention, therefore I need to request a leave of absence." The heiress would shudder as she felt her shoulders tensing in response to the situation, Ozpin had always been an enigmatic figure from the get-go of her time at the Academy. Welcoming his students with a well-spoken speech before laying into them with a cold-hearted reminder of the future that awaited them upon graduation, he could either be a well meaning father figure or the kind of man you definitely didn't want to run across in a darkened alley unless you had some sort of death wish.

"Hmm, normally I would have to review the circumstances surrounding said emergency. However given the public image surrounding the Schnee family name it would be best to err on the side of caution and give you your space, however I do have a caveat to this request." The older Hunter would watch as the heiress took a breath, steeling herself for some sort of insane demand. "I'll be happy to let you leave the Academy grounds, provided you formally sit down with the student you've been harassing the past few months."

Weiss could feel her jaw drop as the words finally registered in her brain as she clenched her fists in restrained fury, the thought of having to formally sit down with her hated enemy made her sick to her stomach. Never mind that he was constantly keeping her from finally getting closer to Ruby, he had managed to make a place for himself despite the hatred that he garnered from not only herself, but other students like Cardin and his flunkies, the instructors (specifically Goodwitch), and even those who had at one time stood beside him, (Yang excelled at personifying the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. When she wasn't busy dressing like a bottom feeder.) but in order to finally gain some temporary peace from the insanity she would have to face Bálor and convince him that they should let their feud simmer down for the time being.

"Alright professor, I'll make sure to talk to him before I leave the grounds. Perhaps it would do us both some good to finally stand down, he's definitely been out of sorts since returning from his journey with Ruby." Weiss would do her best to put on a sympathetic face as she felt Ozpin's probing stare upon her, it would serve her interests to acquiesce and break bread with her enemy. Perhaps then maybe she could glean something of his true intentions towards her cherished partner, depending upon his answer she may or may not leave him with a scar reminiscent of her own.

 _ **As usual Weiss can't seem to leave well enough alone, even when it comes from Ozpin she has to plot and scheme to smite the OC. Would you really expect anything less from the heiress?**_

 _ **Updates to my other stories are going to come, along with a new one where Ruby learns about Japanese wrestling from the eyes of a casual observer. Specifically Shinsuke Nakamura**_

 _ **YEAH-OH! Have a good night everyone**_


	4. Anyone But You

_**Ohhhh this one's gonna get dark folks, and stick around for the end notes because that's important!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and thank Goodness because those are nice happy people. Bálor belongs to me, any other entity mentioned within belongs to their respective parent company.**_

Weiss would sigh dejectedly as she made her way down the halls to Bálor's dorm room, not at all pleased with the prospect of having to make peace with her hated rival in the race to win the heart of one Ruby Rose. It was a distasteful, disgusting deal that their dear professor had thought up to punish her, but it was a necessary evil in order to make it back to the family estate before Gideon neared his death bed.

 _"Hopefully I can just exchange a few niceties, flutter my eyelashes a little and he'll buy it like the horny mutt he is."_ The heiress would shudder at the thought of having to put on a show just to placate the bastard. _"Dust forbid I have to go to the lengths Yang is just to get away from whatever she's feeling, practically whoring herself out to that Fox Alistair."_ The pale-haired Heiress would stop in front of his door to compose herself, she needed to appear truthful and genuine or else he would know something was up, a proper businesswoman should be able to bluff her way through any sort of negotiations without any sign of weakness.

She would take a deep breath and mutter a silent prayer to whatever deity watched over them before knocking gently on his door.

"Yeah, it's open." The wolf Faunus's voice was gruff and haggard, as if he had been up for days on end, or just in a really foul mood. Either way she anticipated a rocky start to their talks, Weiss would spare a roll of the eyes before opening his door and sauntering into the wolf's territory and coming face to face with her silver-haired antagonist. The heiress would be surprised to find him sitting at his desk with a sketching pencil in his hand and more than a few wadded up balls of paper littered on the desk behind him, his amber eyes which were usually filled to the brim with piss and vinegar were dull from a loss of sleep but he still looked plenty annoyed by her present intrusion into his sanctuary. "Look princess, did you need something or are you just here to piss me off again?" She would bristle irritably at his continued lack of respect towards her, lack of sleep withstanding, his defensive tone towards her was beyond off-putting that it bordered upon insulting. But the younger Schnee heiress was forced to keep her cool as she remembered the terms of Ozpin's terms of release: Make peace with the enemy; or be forced to stay behind and watch from afar as her estranged father bit the dust, so she had no other choice but to play nice with the snarling sleep-deprived mongrel in front of her and form some sort of sick pseudo-peace with him

"No, Bálor..I'm not here to infuriate you, if anything I want us to stop all of this senseless bickering. If not for our own sense of self preservation, then for OUR sweet little Ruby. I'm sure she isn't exactly feeling peachy that the two people closest to her are constantly at one another's throats." The pale haired Huntress would force a charming smile onto her porcelain features as she stepped forward to lay a supportive hand upon her shoulders, even as her stomach somersaulted in revulsion at the very act itself. Bálor would flinch visibly as he moved back a few inches while searching her pale blue eyes for any sign of deceit or malice, but all he could see was a very stark determination that seemed heavily focused towards ending the madness between them.

"I hate to admit it, but you are correct: I would like to give MY little Rose some peace of mind while she's away at Signal." The wolf Faunus would sigh and stare at the ceiling in thought while pulling at his hair in agitation. "Dust-dammit I miss her so much that it's pissing me off!" For the heiress it would be a rare glimpse past the bravado that came from the Bullet Club loving crony and into the heart of what she could only guess was the young man trapped behind it all, she would move her hand closer to her cheek purely out of sympathetic instinct. For a moment, time would stand still as Hunter and Huntress looked into each others eyes, finding themselves at a metaphorical crossroads where one move could either dictate a new chapter in their bizarre relationship or send things to a brand spanking new low.

"Fine, speak your peace Schnee." The wolf would breath inward before moving his chair away from the pale haired heiress, the sudden tension between them made his own stomach do some vaulting of its own as he stared down at his shoes in embarrassment. "I suppose it is the chivalrous thing to do, and like any good Vaudevillain I strive to abide by a sense of chivalry." Weiss would sigh at the sudden turn back into wrestling references, as if something very disturbing had run through his mind and he was at a loss for how to react and suddenly started clinging to old habits. However, he would suddenly stand up and offer her his empty seat with a slight smirk as he took a seat on the edge of his desk.

 _"What in the world of Remnant is wrong with him?"_ The bewildered Heiress would sit down in the now vacant rolling chair after positioning it to face the wolf Faunus head on.

"I've seen how you've been acting with Ruby since the two of you got back from that trip, weirdly creepy old timey circus gimmick withstanding of course." Weiss would shudder as she remembered the two of them roaming the halls together, the crimson blitz sitting serenely upon his flexed bicep while she carried a loudspeaker and implored their fellow Hunters and Huntress to "gather 'round and witness the debonair devastation of such exquisite sophistication" before a chorus of old timey music played throughout the academy halls. The heiress didn't understand it one bit but seeing her partner suddenly bust out a unicycle and juggling bowling pins was just crazy enough that it seemed to fit Ruby to a tee and brought a smile to the face of the usually annoyed Weiss.

"It's honestly very surprising to see the two of you acting so jovial, I know that after everything that's occurred in these last six months that Ruby could use all the happiness and joy she could possibly get." To his credit, the amber eyed strongman wannabe would smile politely and do a small bow before gesturing for her to continue.

"And it's shocking to see YOU, someone who's usually so crass and arrogant being gentle and dare I say…sweet." Weiss would suddenly kick herself mentally as she realized she had left herself open for a Bullet Club reference, some sort of hand gesture or smart-allecky quip. But amazingly he would simply stay quiet as he waited for her to continue with her awkward attempt at burying the hatchet.

 _"What's he doing, why isn't he making some stupid Gun Club reference? Or biting my head off, or calling me a spoiled stuck-up sow in need of a good porking?!"_ Weiss would visibly facepalm at the insult her mind had just spouted in her moment of awkward flustering. _"Ugh, I've seriously GOT to keep away from Xiao Long now that she's in some sort of "crazy bitch" phase."_ The silver haired Hunter would sigh as the heiress fell silent, lost in whatever ass backward loop of thoughts she was clearly trying to fight her way out of. "Weiss, I don't really understand what you're trying to get at here but it feels like you really are trying your best to make things right between the two of us." The pale haired Huntress would look at him shrewdly, searching for the proverbial swerve that usually accompanied this sort of situation but finding nothing but a pair of deep pools of amber confusion. "I don't know why you're really trying to do this aside from your genuine feelings for Ruby, but even I know when someone's lost a step mid-promo. So to better expedite things between the two of us I'll just give you what you've probably come for: Weiss Schnee, I forgive you. I forgive you for the attempted assassination, I forgive you for groping my best friend and fellow Vaudevillain like an inebriated John trying to cop a feel during a trip to the Tail House in some vain attempt to keep the little Ironwood up and running." His fists would tighten as he remembered limping from the wreckage of a hard fought battle only to find the heiress fondling and fawning over Ruby whilst straddling the younger woman. "I forgive you, now get the fuck out!" Bálor's amber eyes would glow softly as the more lighter objects in the room were lifted into the air as his Semblance began to make itself known, Weiss would snarl at the sudden display of anger that the wolf was now displaying. "Once a beast, always a beast." She would quickly rise from the desk chair and head towards the door even as a snow globe barely missed the back of her head as she made her exit, as far as the younger Schnee was concerned this was enough to constitute peace in her eyes as she began to make her way back to the RWBY dorm and pack for the journey home.

"Father you can't be serious, I would rather DIE than allow this atrocity!" Winter Schnee was very much nearing her wits end as she paced her father's study while glancing at the ailing patriarch, who seemed rather pleased with himself as the young combat genius Maxwell Eberle knelt beside him. "I could think of a thousand men more qualified to represent my interests in the upcoming Vorbei then this pathetic kiss-ass, he cares about nothing more than his next promotion as well as making sure that the status quo is kept intact at the SDC!" Gideon would smile slowly at that particular outburst as he struggled to lean forward with a menacing sneer struggling to cross his features before disappearing into a complete coughing fit, before she could even make an attempt to help curb the stream of blood that flowed from Gideon's lips Maxwell would already be wiping away his master's blood with a pocket kerchief.

"Don't you understand Lady Winter, even the master knows that I am the only one fit to help you achieve your ambitions in the Vorbei, as well as dispose of whatever prep school hot shot manages to charm your dear sister into letting him be HER champion!?" The rust haired soldier would then return to attending to his ailing master even as the elder heiress stormed out of the room in a fury, whispering reassurances to his master that indeed their valued traditions of segregation would continue regardless of what his daughter desired.

"This time father has finally overstepped his bounds, I had no problem with being saddled with a job in the family business, it validated the painfully boring hours of tutoring that I had to endure just to avoid those dreaded combat schools like the one Weiss seemed to be settled on." Winter would make for the front doors to the mansion and head towards the massive white rose garden further down the path, it was the one place she could always find peace whenever Gideon had done something she had disagreements with. An act which had become more constant since he had fallen ill.

"I'm the one he groomed from the ground up to inherit this company, it was MY blood sweat and tears that helped lay the groundwork for its continued success while that tyrant was hacking up blood and crying out for his second tier child!" The pale haired woman would reach into the breast pocket of her business jacket and feel the cold yet familiar weight of her treasured Onyx King, sobbing in relief as she held it close to her heart for the third time that day. "Where are you my precious king, why won't you reveal yourself to me and free me from this Hell called Schnee!" Winter would look around hesitantly before deciding to venture deeper into the rose garden, ensuring that she had total privacy for the shameful act she was about to commit.

She thought of her future savior the entire time, not caring about the mounting pressures of her family's sickening traditions, the dreaded Vorbei an der Mantel, or even the thought of being caught. There was only bliss, unbridled happiness, and visions of a handsome young Faunus who would arrive to take her away from this never-ending madness that she had spent her entire life growing up in.

Once her loneliness was properly sated, Winter would carefully return her dear king to the breast pocket of her suit before taking a breath and slowly beginning the long walk back to the family mansion, like a convict walking the dreaded Green Mile that eventually ended at the feet of an electric chair the elder Schnee kept her pace calm but deliberate. Measuring each step she took and hearing only the grinding of poor broken Faunus bones beneath her boots, it was the price their family paid to gain the power they had amassed throughout their dark history after all and try as she might Winter could hear nothing but the stiff crushing sounds of bone being destroyed as she neared her front door.

 _"Father and Weiss may be fine with the idea of abusing the Faunus for the sake of money and power, but I am NOT a monster! I will never allow myself to become another branch on our family tree's blood soaked roots, I will change this system..even if it means having to use a puppet like Maxwell Eberle as my weapon!"_ She would shudder as she felt a chill hit the air, surprised that the weather would shift so suddenly before looking up at the sunny sky and sighing happily as the warmth of the sun kissed her face. "Perhaps this is a sign of things to come, father's bitter winds can't last forever." Winter would mutter to herself as she closed her eyes and basked in the sunlight, a few tears falling down her face as she felt her king's phantom arms embracing her with such love and affection that she sobbed joyously as her heart raced. "I can feel you, it's your light that will shine down upon me and warm my soul. Please hurry my king, your queen needs you desperately."

Weiss would saunter towards the airship port with a satisfied smirk while her servants struggled to push the cart carrying her various cases of luggage behind her, she had managed to pack her bags without incident, there was no Yang trying to further her pointless endeavors with Fox of Team CFVY, no Blake to question her sudden need to leave with a good chunk of her wardrobe, and no Ozpin to question her on the outcome of her little powwow with Bálor. "Finally all I have to worry about making sure my father is comfortable as he leaves this mortal coil, then whatever happens after that will be between myself and…Winter." The thought of having to come face to face with her older sibling filled the heiress with disgust, the last time the two of them had been in the same room together it had involved an argument when the elder heiress had referred to her sister as an "absolute failure as a Schnee" and deserved to be shunned out of the family bloodline as well as having her portion of the inheritance from the will rescinded.

"Compared to that dirty mutt, she isn't worth the effort of trying to crush. I can't imagine myself running that twisted company that dares to bear my family's prestigious name, I'm going to make sure that when the time does come for me to wrest control from the old guard there will be no one that stops me!"

Weiss would continue her self-assured strut to the SDC's private hangar, knowing that with Gideon's impending demise she would be one step closer to washing away the blood from the Schnee family legacy.

However once the doors to the hangar opened to reveal the customized Bullwark that bared the SDC logo, Weiss would be surprised to find the guardsmen that had traveled aboard the plane all pinned to the ground.

And at the forefront of this telekinetic assault was a less than pleased Bálor Moonlight, a travel bag slung over his shoulder and his eyes glowing softly as he held her soldiers down in place.

"Hello dear Princess, I do hope you aren't intending on going somewhere without me dearie." The heiress would waste no time in drawing her Myrtenaster and rushing in to attack him, only for the wolf Faunus to sneer. "Remember dear Lady Schnee." He would start dodging her thrusts and slashes as deftly as he could while getting in close enough to wrap his arms around the infuriated Huntress and restrain her before leaning in close to whisper into her ear. "Remember my dear girl, you owe me a solid. And I'm cashing it in." Weiss would freeze up as she felt the heat of his breath upon her neck with a whimper, knowing that not only did he have her beat physically, the coward had also taken hostages.

"Fine, I'll do whatever sick act you want me to do." The heiress would whisper this quietly but harshly, ignoring the unwanted shivers running down her body. "Just..please, not in front of them!"

The silver haired menace would smile and nuzzle her neck affectionately, reveling as her body responded by moving closer to his own. "You misunderstand me love, I don't want your body. I want to tag along: A chance to meet the rest of the disgusting Schnee family tree, the absolute worst of the worst when it comes to racism!" His eyes would glow brighter, causing the guards to groan in agony at the increased pressure put upon them.

"Besides..compared to the rest of the filth, you're actually pretty nice..if things weren't the way they were between us..maybe we could've-" Weiss would hiss before glaring into those pools of boiling amber, knowing that she had no choice but to acquiesce to his demands. "Don't you fucking DARE finish that sentence you pathetic cur! You don't know the meaning of that word, you're just a rabid dog that Ozpin won't allow to be put down!" Bálor would be visibly stunned by her harsh words, disrupting his hold over the soldiers and allowing them to rise to their feet before flattening the wolf Faunus to the ground. "You traitorous bitch, we had a deal!"

Weiss would breathe a sigh of relief as she glared down at the captured beast now pinned to the ground by those he once held captive, a deadly smile covering her face as she knelt down to spit in the amber eyes that she hated so much. "Don't worry, my sweet little street cur. I'll honor our deal, but you never specified just how you'd prefer to be treated during this trip." She would turn to the nearest guard with a fiendish grin as she got to her feet. "Lock this rabid beast in a cage then begin preparations for takeoff, my father's a stickler for punctuality." The heiress would finally allow herself to feel some sense of relief as she witnessed her tormentor being locked away.

 _"Who's the bitch now?"_

 ** _So yeah, things got crazy, weird, and kinda smutty._**

 ** _Now before I leave you fine readers to your business, I've got something I need to get off my chest._**

 ** _I feel incredibly bad for letting my college schedule screw with the flow of updates, and while I can't do bo-diddly to change that fact I figured I could at least do the loyal folks a solid and give new readers incentive to read something besides Conversations. I'm glad it got into the "Best of RWBY fanfiction" community, still a little shocked that it did to be honest._**

 ** _But I feel like some of the unfinished works only get love when updated (I know they do) So to combat this, I've set up a little poll to let you folks decide what story I should devote the remainder of September to. Any story not marked Complete is fair game, and in the case of Peaches there will be a double option (Keep the story as is, or do a rewrite. And yes that summary is misleading so don't go by it) or for those who don't like what I'm selling, pitch me your own suggestions via PM and if that option wins out the lucky winner's idea will be chosen at Random._**

 ** _I'm aware that a lot of you aren't big fans of what I do, so that's why I created this poll. To let the people have their say, because maybe some of you don't like "Mmm Gorgeous" and its odd portrayal of Team CFVY's dynamic, or maybe Addiction just isn't giving you enough of your daily requirement of Vitamin Schnee. And while I may NEVER be as celebrated a fanfic author as say, ElfCollaborator I do want to be the kind that takes his fans suggestions to heart..even if they're somewhat hurtful (sorry, Peaches flashbacks)_**

 ** _In the meantime, review if you want, PM if you must, and go check out that poll!_**

 ** _Poll expires at Midnight September 18th_**


	5. United, Divided

_**I promised to give you people updates to every open story I had going, and I'm going to.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth otherwise Weiss's father really would be a mad tyrant and not just someone operating in a "moral gray area". Bálor's mine yada-yada-yada. Every other entity's the property of the parent company blah blah blah!**_

 __Gideon Schnee would be surrounded by twelve of his personal guard, each man adorned in custom-made armor that resembled black ice. They were the best of the best, trained by the prestigious academies before they decided to let the filthy Faunus desecrate their halls and as such they were well rounded soldiers by normal standards.

But 'normal' wasn't good enough to defend someone as important as the head of the Schnee Dust Company, so the patriarch had allowed (and at one point demanded) the use of performance enhancing substances among his troops.

"Men, I have just received word that my youngest daughter Weiss has just left the grounds of Beacon Academy has begun her journey home to ME!" The soldiers below would cheer their lord and master feverishly while the ailing man basked in the adoration of his soldiers, Winter would be standing behind her father looking completely miserable and disinterested, she hated the fact that Gideon was not only posturing for the sake of his men as well as giving himself yet another excuse to talk up his glorious youngest daughter who had all but spit on each and every act of goodwill that he had offered her.

 _"Again and again you praise that turncoat while I've slaved and given you everything I could as a daughter and employee!"_ Winter's anger would be so much that the warmth of the sun would be replaced by a powerful, icy wind as her Semblance began to manifest the beginnings of a blizzard.

Maxwell would sigh as he shuddered due to the cold wind and calmly stepped to her side and gently smack the back of the heiress's head to snap her out of it. "Compose yourself my lady, your father's already in enough agony without your abilities worsening the situation!" He would whisper this harshly before once again standing at attention and leaving the pale haired woman even further disheartened, even her so-called "Champion" seemed to be buying into Gideon's latest speech even as the patriarch burst into booming laughter.

"Do you see men, even the Gods tremble at the impending arrival of our beloved Weiss! Soon all of Remnant will know of her greatness! HAHAHAHAHAH!" The soldiers would cheer once again as Winter sighed and made her way back inside the family manor, reaching into her pocket and finding that her onyx king wasn't in its usual resting place.

 _"No…no where is it?!"_ She would feel her heartbeat pick up as she began to search for her precious chess piece, the very symbol of her future hopes and dreams for a life away from the SDC.

"Lose something Poppet?" A voice would speak up from seemingly every direction, but Winter knew this particular annoyance very well as she reached for her spear and unfolded it as she headed downstairs and making her way to her bedroom. "Gotta say this is one fancy chess set, must've cost you some primo lien to get each and every piece to your-"

Silence, you cloaked cur! I've had enough of your silly little games!" The heiress would pick up the pace and soon find herself running down the familiar halls leading to her bedroom as a smile crossed her lips.

 _"I have you now, you filthy bastard!"_ Winter would burst through the doors of her bedroom to find the cloaked man sitting at the black side of her chessboard, her onyx king being tossed lazily into the air only to be caught by its captor. "You will return my King to me now, and while you're at it lower that hood of yours so I can see the face of the man whose blood will coat my spear tip."

The cloaked man would scoff at her threat before tossing the chess piece to her with a chuckle.

"I wasn't planning to keep it anyways, it's..sticky." He would laugh quietly as the heiress caught her beloved onyx king with a grateful sigh, clutching it to her heart before glaring at the mysterious man.

"What possible reason could you have to be here, I have enough problems with my father having seemingly dictated that I am to be at a distinct disadvantage in-" Winter would stop short of revealing anything about the Vorbei, choosing instead to step forward in preparation to attack.

"Now now princess, I come here with glad tidings." The cloaked individual would snap his fingers and bring up an image of Weiss's Bullwark which was now presently beginning to make a steady landing at the Schnee family's private landing strip.

The elder heiress would grit her teeth as she watched her baby sister make her exit onto the tarmac, being flanked by more of the family's personnel while smiling brightly.

"I don't understand why the brat's arrival would be good tidings for me, Weiss and I don't get along!" She would raise her Schwartzwind to the man's throat in a fit of anger, having had enough of being a simple pawn on other people's chessboards. She was a queen, and somewhere out there was someone who knew just how to treat someone of her stature.

"Uh-duhhhh, I got that from the lack of warm and fuzzy sister on sister action around this joint." He would ignore the pointed glare directed at him and instead watched as the youngest Schnee daughter directed a couple of soldiers to collect her baggage, as she proceed to have a laugh for reasons unknown to him. "My good tidings come in the form of a certain someone who's been conveniently hidden from our sight, somewhere in that plane is what you've been dying for all these years."

Weiss would groan as she spotted the outline of her former home, the once grandiose Schnee family mansion was massive in scale but housed none of the warmth that belonged in a person's childhood residence. And yet the youngest daughter of Gideon Schnee would find herself traveling the roads back to that very place, faced with the impending death of her only remaining parent, a reunion with a sister she had no desire to be around in any way shape or form, and still she was at the mercy of an obnoxious classmate that had managed to weasel his way into her personal matters.

 _"I can't believe that I'm actually back in this place, how long has it been since I last stepped foot upon these grounds?"_ The younger heiress would sigh as the town car stopped at the front steps of the mansion, where a withering husk of an elderly man would be waiting for her. "Who's in charge of security here?! Someone get that withered old phantom off of my family's property!" She would immediately exit the car and unclasp her Myrtenaster, already in a foul enough mood after having to make sure to keep her unwanted guest as far out of her hair as possible by having him sedated before taking possession of the wolf Faunus's scroll in order to gain her own sort of leverage against him.

"You! The Schnee family has nothing to offer someone of your disgusting ilk, now get off my property!" She would point her rapier at the husk's throat, an icy glare etched upon what was usually a lovely visage. In response the elder man would let out a booming laugh at his youngest child's unrestrained fury before raising his eyebrow in challenge, leaning back just in time to avoid having his throat pierced by Myrtenaster before countering with a simple palm strike that was strong enough to send Weiss skidding back to the passenger door of the town car with a bloodthirsty snarl before switching the revolver of her Multi-Action Dust Rapier to its Blast setting as Myrtenaster's blade turned red as she summoned a speed glyph to strike down the old man once and for all. "I've had enough of this bullshit!" She would quickly lay into the older man with a series of crimson-colored strikes and slashes with all the speed she could possibly give, doing her best to channel the frantic pace of her beloved crimsonette reaper. _"Ruby, watch over me."_ The heiress could feel her eyes well up with tears as she began to reminisce on better times with her partner: their beginning days as somewhat shaky partners in their freshman year at Beacon as RWBY slowly began to gel together as a unit amidst some minor squabbles and the eventual revelation of Blake's Faunus heritage. _"Give me the strength I need to win this battle!"_ The pale-haired Huntress would continue her frantic assault as her withered opponent began to show signs of worry as he began to take a more defensive stance against her repeated attacks, even as the young woman in front of him was seemingly lost in the haze of memory.

Weiss would continue to reminisce upon her days as a Huntress in training: The memorable food fight between RWBY and JNPR that kicked off their second year with laughs and merriment before Blake's worries towards the White Fang's alliance with Roman Torchwick, a known criminal and a human that the group of rogue Faunus would never associate with under any circumstances would spur the team along with the newly transferred Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias into going on the offensive against the group while trying to gather information on just what the heck this alliance meant in terms of danger to the city of Vale. As it turned out, this plan would manifest in the form of a train whose compartments were rigged to explode as it made its way across the underground tunnels of the long since walled off Mountain Glenn into the heart of Vale itself. However, it was due to the combined efforts of Teams RWBY, JNPR,CFVY, Sun, Neptune, the staff of Beacon and, even Ruby's dog Zwei this plan would be foiled and Roman Torchwick would finally be captured. "We've been through so much together, and I had hoped that this year would finally be the one where I could finally bare my feelings to you." Weiss could feel her body beginning to tire, her legs turning to jelly as both flesh and spirit began to reach their limits. "I should be there with her right now, but that stupid Faunus punk just had to transfer to OUR school!" The heiress would stand once more as she let out a banshee scream as she saw the face of the one she truly hated standing before her: Bálor Moonlight, the wolf Faunus who served no master beside his own whims. She usually had little problem trusting the Faunus thanks to her time with Blake, Sun, and Velvet. But the amber eyed wolf proved to be a much different case. He was belligerent, angry, overconfident, and violent to the point that he had sidelined Team CRDL single-handedly while beating down on Cardin Winchester so badly to the point that the bullying Hunter had been rendered comatose for the better part of two months. _"That should have been enough for Ozpin to kick him out, yet the professor shields him at every opportunity!"_ Unfortunately, the headmaster of Beacon wouldn't be the only one affected by the silver-haired Hunter's sly behavior as the normally flirtive and self-assured Yang Xiao Long was slowly transformed into a young woman who felt both the joys and fears of her first true love. _"Yang wasn't the type of person to melt into a puddle of goo at a pair of smoldering amber eyes, yet he turned her into some helpless damsel!"_ Weiss would use a speed glyph to attack her somewhat winded opponent with one last barrage of furious strikes while switching Dust types with alarming dexterity. "You had the blonde bombshell that every guy drooled over, that should have been enough for you!" She would kick out her opponent's kneecap, ignoring the cries of pain as the silver haired Faunus crumpled to the ground in agony.

Her mind still fully focused on the one Faunus she truly grew to loathe with every last fiber of her being.

 _"You had to set your sights upon MY Ruby didn't you!"_ The heiress would shudder as she remembered the changes that had occurred in the crimsonette haired reaper as she sank further into Bálor's world: Ruby was becoming less and less concerned with spending her time with the team, citing that the air of mystery surrounding her new friend. It wouldn't be long after that that the cookie-loving young woman would start mentioning the wolf more and more, even adopting some of his wrestling-related slang and paraphernalia as her own. _"I should've just killed you then and there, but I was too concerned with upsetting Ruby..so I made the mistake of letting you live!"_ Weiss would shake her head as she stood over her fallen foe, remembering the day Ruby had declared that she was done being a piece of property instead of a partner and temporarily taking residence with Bálor. That had been the tipping point for her, and the heiress had taken it upon herself to hire an assassin from an unknown land to slay her demons for her. _"I failed that day, my teammates turned against me and fought to save your life, my partner turned against me and tried to destroy me."_ She began to laugh quietly even as tears began to fall from her eyes as she raised Myrtenaster high for the killing blow.

"This ends it all, I'll finally rid all of Remnant of your wicked soul!" Weiss would bring down her rapier to sever her opponent's spine, only to be met with the sound of "clang" as her weapon crashed against the pole end of an ivory white halberd.

"..eiss, Weiss snap out of it!" For a moment the heiress would see her beloved reaper guarding the fallen wolf Faunus, causing her to step back and drop Myrtenaster as she fought back a sob.

 _"Why…Why do you always choose to stand with him?"_ Weiss would shake her head furiously, trying her hardest to deny the scene that was playing out before her. "Whyyyy?!"

Her maddened query would be answered with a hard slap to her cheek, silencing the manic Huntress and slowly clearing the haze of anger that had taken control of her.

"Dammit Weiss, when did you become so weak that you let yourself be swallowed up by despair!" Ruby would no longer be standing over her as the illusion cleared, the crimsonette's visage dispelled to reveal her older sister Winter looking down upon her with disdain. "Father would be disgusted with you right now were he not dealing with a broken kneecap right now!" Her words would cause Weiss to look over in shock at what used to be the object of her hatred, instead she would see the ailing Gideon Schnee clutching his shattered knee and writhing in pain.

 _"Father? All this time I've been fighting my own father!"_ Her pale blue eyes would widen in shock as she stood up and hurried over to his side, ready to apologize for all the damage she had done to him. "Father! I-I'm sorry! I -" She would go silent as she noticed her father smiling despite the agony that he was no doubt enduring.

"No my dear, there's no need to apologize for your actions. This battle has shown me that you truly embody the cold fire that runs through our family's bloodline!" The injured patriarch would let out a howl of joyous laughter, much to the surprise of the man's daughters as well as the medical unit which had been dispatched to attend to the matter at hand. "I have felt the depths of your hatred for the Faunus, your need to crush all competition on the way to the realization of your goal!" The injured tyrant would begin to howl with laughter.

"Father..what are you saying?" Winter would look on in shock as Gideon reached out for the hands of both of his children, his smile becoming a frozen sneer before he spoke once again.

"I'm saying that you and your sister are finally ready to face the ultimate challenge, a final test that will prove to me which one of you is truly worthy of the name 'Schnee'!" Gideon's own pale blue eyes would glow as the sky above them darkened and snow as black as night began to descend.

"Hear me now oh great ancestors! I, Gideon Jorgmandr Schnee hereby invoke the sacred rite of Vorbei an der Mantel!" The wind would howl demonically as if to affirm his words and lightning danced across the sky as if to herald the beginning of the chaos that lay ahead of them.

 _ **Next Chapter we finally get around to explaining what the Vorbei an der Mantel is, what failure means for the losing heiress, as well as the return of our pesky OC. For those of you lost on any of Weiss's flashbacks: The first one deals with Volume one of RWBY. The second: Volume 2. The final is a heavily truncated version of the events in my first fic "Conversations"**_

 _ **I will return tomorrow and Sunday to update the remaining open fics, in the meantime enjoy this, and if you want to see it brought to a full, true conclusion then I invite you to cast your vote in the pole on my profile page.**_

 _ **Until then, pleasant dreams**_


	6. Acts of Succession

no jokes tonight, super tired

Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth

Winter would be leading her younger Weiss down the stairs of the hidden hallway within the Schnee family manor, neither woman especially wanting to be there but the patriarch had invoked the rite of the Vorbei and both sides needed to be made aware of the situation.

"Where are we Winter, and just what was our father saying before the medics took him away?" The younger heiress was terribly confused following the impromptu battle she'd had with Gideon, while she felt bad for shattering the old man's kneecap she still felt some measure of vindication at being able to bring her personal demon.

"You were asked here for a reason little sister, our father is ill and he demanded that a new successor be named before he passes." Winter would keep making her march downstairs in silence as she contemplated the weight of the information about to be passed onto the two of them, her irritation would be further compounded by the sight of her so-called champion waiting for them in front of the heavy steel doors with his arms crossed and a look of disdain reserved especially for her. "Of course father would send his little lackey to fill in on his behalf."

"Lady Weiss, it's an honor to finally meet you face to face." The man who had been handpicked to represent Winter in the upcoming Vorbei would kneel down and kiss Weiss's hand delicately, causing the younger Huntress to blush slightly before giving him a small smile. "I'm glad to see that you made it here unharmed, from what I've heard the White Fang has been stepping up their malicious acts in the city of Vale." Weiss would sigh and nod in agreement, describing her own run in with the group of renegade Faunus alongside Team RWBY, leaving Winter to debate upon the current state of things in silent thought.

"Everything seems to be going according to your machinations Father, I hope you're proud that your little snowflake has returned." She would feel her scroll vibrate as a message was received, smiling as the pieces of her counterattack came together. "Maxwell; we should move this along, my father would be most displeased by the time you're wasting on these idle pleasantries." She would tap his shoulder as she moved toward the handprint scanner, grinning maliciously as she leaned into whisper in his ear. "Unless you're angling to champion for my sister instead, in which case I'll be happy to accept your resignation before my father beheads you for treason." This would cause the black-armored young man to stiffen up in fear at the less then subtle threat leveled against him. "Th-this way my lady, this control pad needs to be activated by the two of you at the same time." He would lead the younger Schnee daughter to her control pad even as Winter took up her post.

Winter would keep her right hand above the palm scanner before looking to Weiss with a silent nod as the two would place their palms down on the scanner in silent symmetry, the giant door beginning to open with an uncomfortable sounding groan of effort. "Weiss; consider this your last chance to turn back, for once these doors open the Vorbei an der Mantel will officially be considered underway." The younger heiress would glare back at her older sibling with contempt as the doors continued to groan as they opened further, they had never gotten along as children and time had done nothing to remedy that situation.

"You won't make me back down Winter, I've already conquered one demon today in addition to that unfortunate incident with our father." Weiss would grin as she placed her hand upon Myrtenaster's handle as Winter reached back for Schwartzwind, neither side really wanting to wait until the doors were fully opened and the ritual began.

"ENOUGH!" Maxwell would unleash his own weapon, a pair of double sided Kusarigama he had ironically named Cain & Abel and held one to either heiress's neck. "As the person most fit to represent Master Gideon's best interests, I will not allow this great ritual to be bastardized by your petty squabbles!" The two Huntresses would relent as their hands left their weapons but they would continue to glare at one another even as the doors finally finished opening. "Now children, I think it's time you were given the full scope of just what kind of catastrophe you face since Gideon has fallen ill."

Weiss would shudder as the three of them entered the family's secret vault, not surprised to see cold resistant file cabinets lining the walls below old portraits of former Schnee family patriarchs above them. For generations men had always ruled over the family's affairs with an iron fist and ice water running through their veins. The current predicament was one of the rare times that the family faced true upheaval, as there were no male heirs to take the mantle and assume control of affairs both corporate and personal. "I still don't understand why I have to be involved in this, I only came here because I thought father was already on his death bed." She would glare sideways at Winter as she spoke, remember how the pale-haired woman's letter had implied that their sire was on the bare minimum of borrowed time. "I still have affairs to tend to back at Beacon before I even consider stepping up to take the reins of our company." She thought about her partner Ruby Rose, the spunky crimsonette haired reaper who had managed to pierce the icy walls she had created around her heart and within the two years they had spent together as class mates she had nearly worked up the courage to confess her true feelings to the girl.

"But then that stupid mutt showed up and ruined everything!" Weiss would clench her fist in anger as she saw the face of her amber eyed tormentor and how he had ruined her chance at confessing her feelings to her silver-eyed partner. Not because he had snatched Ruby's heart for himself (at that current instant his eyes were fixed firmly upon the crimsonette's sister Yang) but rather he had drawn her attention with his crazy-wrestling inspired antics, even managing to rope her into becoming first a proud and boisterous fangirl then a partner in his latest idea: An old-fashioned Jester/Strongman combination known as the Vaudevillains.

"Lady Weiss, is something troubling you?" She had been so lost in her walk down memory lane that she had all but forgotten that she was still in the middle of a very pressing family situation, immediately her face would turn red with indignation as both Winter and Maxwell had stopped in their tracks in order to check upon her sudden furious actions. "WHAT?! I'm perfectly fine, let's get going." She would begin walking forward leaving the other two somewhat confused at her actions before picking up the pace to catch up to her until they eventually found themselves standing in front of an altar with a large leather-bound tome waiting for them. "please tell me we're not down here for some sort of religious sermon, this family's never been the type for any kind of prayer." Winter would roll her eyes in annoyance at her sister's behavior, trying not to completely lose her patience with the younger Huntress even as her armored champion would carefully lift the heavy book off of the altar. "In this tome lies the great history of the Schnee family bloodline, from our humble beginnings as mere Dust prospectors to titans of the mining industry who are without equal!" Maxwell would read from the heavy tome with gusto, temporarily transforming from a braggadocios champion to a hot blooded minister that preached the word from the good book. "But soon there arose dissenters from within, those who thought that we could rest upon our laurels and let ourselves grow content upon our riches! So our very first patriarch Jotun Schnee declared that the weak must be abolished and-"Winter would sigh in irritation as she signaled for him to wrap things up, her scroll had vibrated twice during his sermon.

"Ahh, the whole point of this being that you two are now involved in the great ritual: the passing of the title of head family member of the Schnee family from father to…daughter, as this current predicament has demonstrated, is divided into five trials that will test your strength, intellect, courage, ruthlessness and spirit!" Maxwell would begin to feel the fervor once again, but would be silenced by an icy stare from the older heiress as he cleared his throat in embarrassment. "However, as you are dignified women the master has decreed that you both be designated a champion to represent you during competition." The battle school genius would stand straight, puffing out his chest proudly as he did. "In a brilliant display of his undying wisdom, the master has selected me to represent Winter." Weiss would groan at the thought of having someone else fight in her place, she was a well-trained Huntress and was very much capable of handling herself in the heat of battle. "I don't need a fucking champion; I'll prove to you all that I can win the day with my own strength!" Winter would allow herself a small smile at her sister's resolve to fight the battle her own way. "I suppose that kind of fire comes with being trained as a Huntress." She would sigh inwardly at the memories of her own training at the Dupont Battle Academy, despite its grand sounding name the Academy was just a glorified finishing school complete with waltzing classes and even a cotillion. "I've learned to waltz, maintain an air of dignified calm, but if I were to face Weiss now she would no doubt claim a crushing victory over me." Maxwell would rub his temples in agitation at the outburst of defiance from one heiress and a bizarre silence from the other, he would slam the tome shut in annoyance as he tried lifting the book back onto the altar. "You have my deepest apologies Lady Weiss but the rules state that you must be designated a champion, failure to do so will mean immediate disownment by Lord Gideon."

Weiss would be taken aback by this sudden change in rules, even as Winter began making her way back to the palm scanner at a hurried pace, causing the younger woman to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "Now just where is she set to go in a hurry?" She would begin walking to her designated side of the palm reader and slap her own palm down just as the older woman did the same, the old door groaning as it began to open wide. "Winter, why are you so insistent upon speeding things up? I figured as a businesswoman you'd appreciate long winded speeches." The elder heiress would ignore her siblings queries as she checked the unread messages on her scroll, a grateful smile playing across her lips before deciding to squeeze through the small gap provided for her. "Another family trademark, ignore basic questions and storm off without so much as a word." Weiss would sigh as the door continued to open, an exasperated Maxwell would trudge up to stand beside her. "I ask that you forgive Lady Winter, as your father's personal assistant and confidant she's been given a ringside view of his deteriorating condition."

The young woman would sigh as she turned to face the black armored knight. "What is his condition, when we fought earlier he seemed to be at the top of his game." She sighed in shock as her mind recalled how difficult it had been to bring the older man down, succeeding only after she had released the pressure valve and proceeded to destroy what she thought was her true foe.

"I'm afraid it's Midnight Syndrome, we're still not sure how he could have contracted it seeing as the plant responsible for producing the toxin died out during the last big chill to hit Vale." The raven-haired young man would sigh as he recounted the series of events that brought them so far.

Meanwhile, Winter would be examining the poor soul that her personal guard had managed to release from the confines of her sister's Bullwark, stroking the poor young man's silver hair absentmindedly as she remembered the mysterious man's parting words. "Your prince's gonna be someone of distinct mettle, hair the color of silver with a heart that's no doubt broken. Win him over to your side and he may be of some use to you." The eldest daughter of Gideon Schnee could finally envision the full chess board as soldiers, the rank and file soldiers were of no consequence as she could no doubt dispose of them by herself. However, it would be the King that would prove to be to be the most problematic, and even as she looked upon the sleeping form of the wolf being enclosed in the fetal position Winter's doubts would only heighten with every passing minute.

 _ **Goodnight all**_


	7. Mind Games

_**So, Winter is coming..in Canon. Effectively turning this fic on its ass.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, otherwise Winter would actually be a kinder woman than what the chapter 3 preview finally convinced me of, Bálor does belong to me, any other company, group, or entity is the property of their respective company.**_

Weiss would take a seat at a nearby table in the parlor of her family home, the heiress would sigh happily as the sunlight washed over her, the warmth was enough for her to remove her bolero jacket and drape it over the back of her seat.

"Alright Mister Eberle, you seem to be the one with all the answers here so let's cut through to the brass tax: Just what on Remnant is causing someone as powerful as Gideon Schnee, the man who conquered the maddening world of Dust mining and the backstabbing that goes with it, what could POSSIBLY turn him into a withered, coughing mess!" The youngest Schnee would turn upon her sister's 'Champion' with an icy gaze before taking a seat across from him, ignoring the young man's charming smile as he poured some tea for her.

"My lady, I fear that is quite a long story and there's no doubt that you're exhausted from your earlier travels." The raven-haired young man would gently set down a cup of tea near the younger heiress before going back to pour a cup for himself. "Why not rest and enjoy yourself, the challenges won't begin until tomorrow-" Weiss would glare at the young man with venomous contempt, she hated prep-school kiss asses like him as his mouth was still moving in an attempt to get her to laze about and relax.

"Do you really expect _me_ , an Academy-trained Huntress to just settle in and become some vapid, spoiled brat?" She would stare down at her reflection, her usually calm and composed expression was now one of agitation even as Maxwell began to pour cream into her coffee. "I'm not the same woman who left here two and half years ago, I've seen the way the world outside our manor works and that there's more to life than just resting on the laurels of my family name." The pale haired heiress would sip her tea quietly as she reflected on past times with Team RWBY, not just fighting the Grimm and the White Fang, nor was she focusing on the current turmoil caused by a certain silver-maned blight. But she lost herself to the happier times: When they had redecorated the dorm room on their very first day as a unified team, varied conversations in the dining hall, perhaps the most epic food fight in the recent history of Beacon Academy, and a rather wonderful evening spent dancing alongside friends as well as chatting up a certain blue-haired student from Mistral. (one that she missed terribly.) "Now..I'll only ask this once more Mister Eberle and I won't allow myself to be distracted, what is it that's destroying my father?" The raven-haired soldier would frown upon seeing that familiar cold-hearted determination upon the Huntress's face, feeling his muscles immediately tense up before automatically stand at attention. _"I've seen that look a thousand times on my master and it's always instilled me with a deep sense of pride and vigor, but to see that same look on his daughter and feeling nothing but unending dread..is this what her teammates feel on a daily basis?"_ He would sigh and immediately settle into the seat, snapping his fingers as a servant brought forth a heavy green herbology book and setting it down on the table as the noble began flipping through it rapidly. "You are aware that through certain chemical and distilling processes that even the most delicate and precious of flowers can be turned into either great cures or deadly poisons are you not m'lady?"

The pale-haired heiress would nod as she noticed that he was beginning to slow his page-turning and had begun scanning through them instead. "Yes, we have a whole class at Beacon dedicated to the study of nature and plant life." Her brow would furrow in thought as she connected the dots to his earlier statement, finally coming to a less then favorable conclusion in terms of his unspoken words. "Are you saying that my father's been poisoned by a plant? There's no way he could be so stupid as to let himself be exposed to a deadly toxin…unless." Maxwell would nod quietly as he finally found the entry he was looking for and gently slid the book over to the youngest heiress with a grim expression. "Unless he was unknowingly poisoned through dubious means." He would ball a fist in anger quietly as Weiss leaned forward to inspect the book.

"Dentes Eburneos Venemum?" She would run her finger over the illustration of the flower in question, feeling a sense of familiarity as she looked upon it. "That's a mouthful for the name of a simple flower, and one that I swear I've seen before too." She would close her eyes and search her memory for any sign of the flower, seeing it only in flashes whenever a memory involving her father Gideon came up. "Father..Father always wore this flower as a boutonniere whenever I would see him as a child, but why would he wear something so potentially lethal out in open forums? Especially around his own daughters?! Is he really so reckless that he would gamble our lives just so that he would leave a lasting impression upon his business allies?!" Weiss would glare at the stone-faced young man in search of an answer to her patriarch's blatant behavior not that it surprised her at this stage of the game, the SDC had been more or less playing fast and loose with the rules of society for as far back as she had conscious memory.

So the fact that their current head would end up doing the same with his own family wasn't too much of a jarring shock to her beliefs, rather it was more of an affirmation on just how far down the twisted rabbit hole of madness the name of Schnee had fallen. _"Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower father, I find yet another nugget of shit floating in the family punch bowl."_ She would scowl as she gently closed the book and shook her head as yet another hurdle was added to her already Herculean task of redeeming her family's company and good name.

"You misunderstand Weiss; on its own the White Krystal is harmless, at the very worst the pollen within provides a stimulating effect on the human brain, allowing neurons to fire at an enhanced rate and allow an individual to temporarily boost their intelligence temporarily to one and a half-times their normal capacity!" Maxwell would snap his fingers once more as yet another servant came to retrieve both the book and his empty teacup. "Master Gideon sought to harness and synthesize this pollen in order to bolster his business tactics to twice-" Weiss would slam her palms onto the parlor table in annoyance as she stood up from her chair and glared at what was effectively her father's puppet, even in his darkest hour the man known as Gideon Schnee would never resort to some synthetic smart pill to win his battles for him. "Enough with the cock and bull stories Maxwell, I told you I wanted answers and I will have them!"

Winter would be sitting at her chess set in annoyance as she waited for her trump card to awaken from his slumber, once again seeing her chess pieces as those few people in her life that either stood in her way (such as those based on the white pieces) and those she trusted to help her bring her goals to fruition (Those individuals would be represented by the black onyx pieces.) but her king was the most vital, and according to the miscreant in the black cloak it was the young man asleep on her bed behind her that would be the key to her goal of bringing down the tyranny of Gideon Schnee.

"I'm starting to think that moron in the cloak is just trolling me." The elder Schnee heiress would turn to check up on her sleeping guest only to find the rather large bed now empty without any sign or sound of movement. _"How did he…?"_ She would begin to rise from her seat when the sound of growling could be heard from behind her, the pale haired woman would sigh and shake her head quietly. "Truly, you are going to be a tough one to tame." Winter would mutter to herself before turning to face the now awakened wolf Faunus with as much of a kind hearted smile she could muster, surprised to see him sitting down at the white side of the board with a beyond livid fire burning in his amber eyes. "It's good to see that you're now awake and on your feet my friend, I trust my sister's accommodations were to your liking?" The silver-haired Huntsman would snort in response to her words as he calmly ran his fingers across the white queen chess piece. "Speaking as a reformed prisoner, they were exactly what I was used to: Beaten, drugged, thankfully unmolested, and forced to wake up in the warden's office." He would look her up and down as best he could from his vantage point, his instincts screaming at him to knock the woman unconscious and then take the scenic route back to Beacon. "I take it your Weiss's mother or something?"

Winter would bristle visibly at his poor choice of words, clenching her hands which were cleverly hidden under the table into tightly wound fists. "No, I'm her older sister. My name is Winter Schnee-" She would stop speaking upon seeing his eyes glow, the chess pieces in front of him suddenly levitating off of the board and floating precariously in the air. "Pl-please, be careful with those! They were a rather expensive purchase and therefore very fragile!" Winter would hesitate upon whether or not to use a glyph to bring the arrogant Faunus to heel, but for her plans to succeed she needed someone who can convincingly play his part in the upcoming Vorbei. And while a domesticated dog would have been very useful to have at her side, Gideon had dashed any hope of giving her future aspirations a fair shake when that kiss ass Maxwell Eberle had been handpicked to represent her in the upcoming ritual.

"Why does that not surprise me, you rich and conceited types tend to piss away money on extravagant things while others around you scratch, claw and pretty much cannibalize one another for your table scraps." The wolf would wave his hand absentmindedly before returning the chess pieces to their proper placement even as the elder heiress stood up from her seat in a seething rage, causing him to grin in glee as he leaned forward to stare at her chest for a moment before closing his eyes. "Your sister has that exact same look before she decides to go for the throat, I must admit that you do make it a more attractive version."

The older heiress would sigh as she tried to make sense of his dual-sided behavior, on the one hand he was acting like a belligerent asshole who sought nothing more than to rattle her cage and annoy her into attacking him, then there was the other side that was clearly trying to flirt with her in some backhanded manner. "Given your demeanor, I don't blame her for considering tearing out your throat." She would look down to see that he had moved a pawn forward on the board, his amber eyes looking into hers expectantly as if waiting for Winter to make her own move and challenge him. "I wasn't aware that someone like you played, I must say this is quite the surprising development and a most welcome one at that." She would move the pawn defending her beloved onyx king with a confident grin, seeing that his eyes were trying to plan out her strategy in his head and chuckling as she saw an opportunity to bring him closer into her fold.

"Contrary to popular belief we prisoners do get _some_ commodities: Chess, checkers, really shitty cable service." He would move another pawn forward, allowing his left hand bishop some movement for a later date as he returned her grin with a relaxed one of his own. "So yes, I did learn to play chess..I also learned how to kill a man soundlessly and keep a secret under times of great duress and agony my dear." This would please the elder Schnee immensely as she watched his body language curiously: he was relaxed, calm, almost as if he didn't care that he was in a house that was built upon the blood and sweat of thousands of his fellow Faunus. "Tell me more about yourself my wolf-eared friend, I have a feeling that we may have much more in common that belies our respective status."

Winter would move her right hand knight while watching his reaction, smiling inwardly as she saw his brow furrow in thought as he weighed his options out carefully. _"For someone so foul-mouthed and rude, he clearly isn't without some intelligence. Weighing out his options carefully, looking for any sign of weakness in his opponent."_ Subconsciously she could feel herself licking her own lips in anticipation of being able to take this rusted and worn out machete of a man and turn him into her own personal scalpel, the perfect tool to sever the jugular of Gideon Schnee and take his skewed morals and self-righteous bigotry against the Faunus race with him to the grave. "I want to know everything about you, all the things my sister knows and then some."

He would raise his eyebrow at this statement, keeping his bishop away from the easily taken knight and instead moving another pawn forward a step as he noticed the gleam in her eyes. "My name is Bálor Moonlight, prisoner ID 6285C. Your sister doesn't like me and I can pretty much say that the feeling is mutual." He would look away as he said that last bit, mentally cursing himself for displaying weakness towards the heiress that had him beaten, sedated and then locked in the cargo hold like a circus animal. "Anything else will have to wait until after the game is finished."

Weiss would glare at the raven-haired young man sitting across from her, a hand on Myrtenaster just waiting for him to give her a reason to take a limb or at the very least give him a few scars. "Last chance to fess up you dolt, or else I start by cutting up that pretty face of yours!" The younger heiress was beyond annoyed at the fact that she had been roped into this crazy family ritual alongside her business-savvy older sister, forced to let someone (who was probably going to be selected from the tippy top of the prep school stock pile) fight in her place when she had spent the last two years at Beacon Academy proving herself to be a capable fighter, then there was the poor sap she had left locked up in the cargo hold of the family Bullwark who was probably just now coming to.

Suffice to say that the pale-haired woman had very little time to entertain the boneheaded idea that her father was using stimulants to keep a tactical advantage over his business enemies.

"Fine, I'll keep my words to only the facts that concern the master's immediate health." Maxwell would sigh and remove his scroll from his coat pocket, showing her the x-ray scans from Gideon's latest medical visit. "Your father has Midnight Syndrome, a rare strain of lung cancer not usually found among the citizens of Atlas, it's so rare that even our most skilled physicians have yet to come up with a definitive clue of how he contracted it." He would wince upon feeling the heat of her angry glare weighing down upon him as if questioning whether they were actually doing anything for him. "The blood tests have revealed nothing out of the ordinary aside from the normal conditions brought about by a high-stress job environment." Weiss would scratch her chin thoughtfully at this development before staring down at the raven-haired guardian. "You said it was cancer, why hasn't chemotherapy been administered? We have more than enough money to assure that the best treatments were to be given to my father immediately and regardless of any waiting lists!" Maxwell would bury his head in his hands, for a brief moment of time he would feel older than the 21 years of life he'd already lived as he stared up at his master's youngest daughter, glaring back at him as she waiting for more of a response from him. "We've tried every form of chemo we could think of my lady, radiation only seems to advance the disease even further." He would run his hand over the herbology book with a frown as he had long since memorized every flower's illustration without fail. "I had hoped that maybe the answer would lay in a more antiquated manner, something that with all our advanced technologies would be so irrelevant that it would slip through the cracks."

Weiss would frown upon seeing the haggard and pained look upon the young man's face, for all his sanctimonious ass-kissing and pathetically transparent pleasantries he had a deep-seated loyalty to her tyrannical overlord of a father. If she didn't hate the old man and his business practices so much, than maybe she would have felt some sense of pity for the young man that sat before her. "What about the ritual you were discussing earlier, why is it necessary? Winter's clearly capable of running the business in all aspects."

Maxwell would sigh tiredly, looking over at the bottle of scotch that rested in the liquor cabinet before shaking his head. "It isn't just about running the SDC m'lady, if that were all that was to it then the master would've long since left things to the Board of Directors whilst recuperating." He would punch a few keys on his scroll, bringing up the Schnee family lineage without blinking an eye before sliding over to her. "You and your sister are the first women to stand directly in line to inherit control of family interests, and in his wisdom the master decreed that the Vorbei an der Mantel will decide the fate of who runs the family, and that champions would be selected to represent you in competition."

Weiss would balk at the mention of having to choose a champion once again, balling a fist at having to suffer the indignity of watching someone else fight a battle she was more then capable of handling. "And there's absolutely no wiggle room in any of this, I HAVE to choose a competitor to represent me?" Judging by the exasperated expression on the raven-haired soldier's face, she had her answer in the simplest of terms. _"So it's either choose some prep school loser or be disowned entirely by my own family, the classic Gideon Schnee specialty of "Submit to my rule or perish"_

 _"You've got to be kidding me!"_ Bálor would look down at the chess board in shock as his king was effectively pinned down by her knight, a bishop, a rook, one very crafty pawn he'd left unnoticed, and her own Black Queen which had amazingly never left the side of her king for a single move. "This kind of ending shouldn't even be statistically possible!"

Winter would be watching the wolf's dumbfounded reaction with the ghost of a smile knowing that by the rules of honorable chess players he would eventually have to offer a congratulatory handshake, and that was when she planned to make her next move. "Well now Master Moonlight, I do hope you plan to be a good sport about all this and take your loss in stride." She would stand up and hold out her hand for the obligatory handshake, watching him closely for any sign of malcontention as he slowly raised his hand to clasp hers.

"Miss Schnee, I can't say this game wasn't a pleasure but I-" What happened next would be something even with his prison-honed instincts he should have been able to avoid, but instead he would freeze as the older woman's lips made contact with his own. "What the hell..?" His body would go rigid as she tried deepening the kiss somewhat, in all honesty it wasn't half bad and aside from the sisters he had left back at Signal and Beacon Academy respectively he would've just jumped the older heiress's bones right then and there. But he respected his friendship with Ruby enough that he wasn't about to go traipsing about with another woman, no matter how well off and attractive she was, then there was his lingering feelings toward Yang. Sure, lately she had taken to mucking about with Fox Alistair of Team CFVY which left him with no shortage of motivation to beat the piss out of anyone Glynda Goodwitch threw at him in the arena but deep down he still held onto the hope that maybe he could make things right between himself and the golden-maned pugilist. Even if a full-on reconciliation between them was beyond out the window for them, they could at least part as friends before begging Ozpin to throw him into a Black Op so dangerous there was a high possibility for death.

In short, losing Yang Xiao Long had seriously fucked with his head something fierce.

"No..this is wrong, you're Weiss's sister..and a Schnee!" He would push her back gently while saying this, taking care to wipe his sleeve with the back of his hand before looking down at the chessboard, his feet, anywhere that wasn't occupied by a Schnee. "Thank you for the chess match, but I really should book it the hell out of here!"

Winter would watch the wolf Faunus hesitate, as he mind slowly calculated the situation before him: He was in a home that he had no way to navigate in, behind what basically amounted to enemy territory given the relationship between Schnee and Faunus.

"There's nowhere for you to go my silver-maned friend, I can keep you safe from reprisal within the walls of this room." She would stare at him as the temperature in the room suddenly dropped to bone chilling levels, causing the amber-eyed Huntsman to look at her questioningly. "Now, what do you say we continue where we left off previously?"

The temperature in the room would slowly rise as she resumed the kiss from earlier, only this time there was no resistance from her Faunus companion like before. If anything he seemed a little too eager to return the kiss, whether it was the fear of freezing to death due to her Semblance or the fact that he had let his baser instincts run wild the end result was that Winter Schnee now had her King in hand.

Even if the method she used to get him left her feeling less like a Queen and more like the backstabbing bishop.

 _ **Yeah, if the ending seems kinda wonky it's for a reason.**_

 _ **Originally I had it set to where Winter would essentially play on his unresolved issues with Yang, as well as toying with the threat of having him thrown back to prison and brutally gangraped by his former fellow inmates (and as big a fan as I am of WTF moments, that was too far for my sake)**_

 _ **BTW, Peaches and Blood? Discontinued, I..I don't have the heart to write anything Arkos related, I like Pyrrha, dislike Jaune, so motivation cancels itself out.**_


	8. What We Don't Know

_**Damn you College, I promised an update a day and you decided to give me a crap ton of homework!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, who I really hope do more with Winter next Volume**_

Weiss would be sitting at the computer terminal in her bedroom, her brow furrowed in thought as she had multiple windows in a relentless hunt for information on Midnight Syndrome. Maxwell Eberle's herbology book had done little to assist her in that respect, so instead the heiress had taken to scouring the web for answers: Medical, homeopathic, and even supernatural websites were all plastered up in separate tabs as the pale-haired woman took meticulous notes in hopes of coming up with a solution that even the so-called medical professionals had missed.

 _"There has to be something in this mishmash of facts and fallacies that I'm not seeing, I just have to think through this analytically. Just like a school assignment."_

Weiss would sigh as she looked to her messages on her scroll, hoping that her teammates weren't too worried about her sudden absence. The only message that would be waiting for her was a very short message from Ruby, wishing the heiress good luck on dealing with her family issues and asking for some sort of souvenir (or at the very least a box of some "fancy" cookies).

"Dunce, of course I'll bring you back some cookies.." The heiress would be grateful that her partner was finally speaking to her after a short time of being afraid of the young woman, something which was especially evident during their previous excursion to Forever Fall at the behest of an energetic Yang Xiao Long.

Weiss was already in a terrible mood that day due to having been dragged out on a field trip by her rather impulsive brawler of a teammate and if that weren't terrible enough for the heiress to endure, there was the obvious caveat of the unwanted fifth member to their little field trip.

Her silver-haired tormentor, Bálor Moonlight.

"Alright Weiss and Ruby are up next for Doubles pictures!" Yang would say this while readying her scroll to take the perfect picture, the heiress was internally overjoyed at the opportunity to be beside her partner and not-so secret love interest while being able to stick it to the petulant wolf Faunus who had dared to stick his nose where it didn't belong.

 _"Finally a chance to get some time with my partner, even if it's just a moment."_ The pale-haired Huntress would sneer victoriously as the amber-eyed young man's jaw clenched in disapproval as he watched the two partners come together for their photo, Ruby wouldn't exactly be pleased by this arrangement either judging by the apprehensive look in her eyes.

 _"You don't need to be afraid of me Ruby, I have no intention of hurting you..unlike that mongrel."_ Weiss would hold out her hand with a gentle smile, the crimsonette hesitating as she looked to her sister quietly.

"Ruby? Everything alright, you don't look well." The golden-maned woman would pocket her scroll and walk over to her sister and lay a comforting hand upon the reaper's shoulder, her lilac eyes probing the younger woman questioningly as the heiress shuffled visibly at the tension in the air. "Sis, you've been acting very weird whenever it comes to something involving you and Weiss together." Yang would turn her probative gaze upon her pale-haired teammate, taking note of the way that the younger Schnee seemed to shudder under the heat of her gaze. "Did something happen-"

"Yang." Bálor would speak up suddenly, knowing that once the brawler's pseudo-maternal instincts kicked in that there was a good chance that Forever Fall would go up in flames once the heiress or his little rose spilled the beans on what had occurred between the three of them outside the amphitheater. Then the was the chance she would later turn her rage against him for keeping said events to himself and not informing her. "I'll take Ruby's place for right now, give her a chance to shake off whatever's bugging her while Her Highness and I take a nice, dignified, picture with one another."

Weiss would balk at this statement as Yang's inquisitive look turned into one of skepticism as she absorbed his request, even Ruby would be slightly surprised by his decision to do this. "No, absolutely not- this time is designated for partners, not selfish antagonistic tagalongs like YOU!" Her pale blue eyes would burn with fiery hatred for the silver-haired prisoner-turned student-in-training, she really wished that her earlier assassination attempt had succeeded instead of having to continuously live in worry over the reprisal he had promised to bring down upon her after keeping the heiress's involvement in his attempted murder quiet.

"I'm afraid I must _insist_ princess, it's obvious that your partner isn't up to snuff and I'm pretty sure that the last thing my girlfriend wants is a photo of her sister losing her lunch!" The wolf Faunus would feel his fists clenched as he remembered seeing Weiss on top of his friend, feeling her up in a manner not fit for teammates on the battlefield while Ruby squirmed in clear distress underneath the older woman's touch. "Let Ruby have some time to compose herself while we finally get this out of the way, I think that this would benefit both of us as I'm not exactly thrilled about having to play nice with a spoiled, stuck up, racist bitch like you!"

Weiss would be seething visibly at the colorful language that he had used to describe her, wanting badly nothing more then to unsheathe her Myrtenaster and cut him from neck to navel like the rabid dog she perceived the young man to be.

"No..I can do this." Ruby would speak quietly while gently removing Yang's hand from her shoulder while making her way over to the enraged Weiss, calmly taking the Heiress's hand in hers and lacing their fingers together in an effort to soothe the flames of rage in her eyes and avoid what could very well have become a bloodbath between the two of them. "Bálor; I appreciate you trying to step in and look out for my well-being, but I'm a big girl and I can handle a little picture just fine." The crimsonette would do her best to put on a brave face even as his expression became one of internal struggle, but the red hood simply nodded firmly to assure him that she had things in hand. "Whenever you're ready Yang." Ruby would do her best to stay calm and keep her resolve even as Weiss moved in closer to her with a bright smile on her face, leaving the silver-haired Huntsman to sulk against a tree as pictures of the two partners were taken.

 _"That's right flea bag, I hope you're feeling as miserable as you look right now because this is the first step on my road to claim Ruby's heart and hopefully send you back to that shit-slathered kennel you crawled out of!"_ The affluent Huntress would be so overjoyed at the misery she was feeling from her Faunus antagonist that she was unaware of how it came off visibly as her kind smile had widened into one of madness.

"Whoa whoa whoa Weiss, reel that smile back like a thousand percent. Looking a lotta psycho there." Yang would put down her scroll and frown as the pale-haired woman's grin just stayed at that same level of manic glee. "Hel-lo? Remnant to Weiss, come in Princess!"

The heiress would blink suddenly, realizing that the flash of the scroll's camera was no longer going off and looking around as Ruby had stepped back from her partner with a look of concern on her face. "What? Are we still not taking this picture?" She would look to Yang for some sort of confirmation as the brawler displayed the pictures of the duo that she had taken before needing to stop: The heiress's smile going from kind and gentle in the first photo before growing wider and more predatory in each following photo until getting to the last one where the golden-maned Huntress just looked to her teammate with an eyebrow raised in curiosity, Weiss herself would be stunned at her abhorrent facial behavior before looking to Ruby apologetically. "Ruby..I..my mind must have wandered off to..some very weird places I guess by the look of things." The crimsonette-haired young woman would nod silently, trying to find the best in her partner's bizarre actions as of late.

"I really think you should lay off the coffee Weiss, you obviously aren't getting enough sleep at night." Ruby would do her best to smile in the face of the awkwardness that they were all feeling at that particular moment, but her smile would dissolve into a small burst of laughter at her own joke.

Back in the present Weiss would be looking down at the message that her partner had sent her with a bittersweet smile upon her face, it warmed her heart that her cookie-loving partner was finally deciding to open back up to her following the events that had happened some time ago.

"Why am I not surprised to find you here glued to your scroll while there's a bright and sunny day outside? Truly, you are our father's daughter." Winter would be standing in the middle of her younger sibling's bedroom with a smug and satisfied smile upon her face before moving to open the blinds of the library and let the sunlight flood into the room.

"Unfortunately, I can't allow you and sit here staring at screens obsessively like some conspiracy theory high on caffeine. Father requires our presence in the training hall, it is time for the selection of your champion for the Vorbei an der Mantel."

Weiss would sigh while pocketing her scroll and looking over the notes that she had taken during her research into Midnight Syndrome, dejected that it all added up to nothing more than theories and conjecture. "So I really have no choice in this matter do I? I really NEED some prep school flunky to represent me in what might be the most important thing in our family's history?"

Winter would smirk as her younger sister's expression turned crestfallen, wanting nothing more then to snap a picture of it and make it the damn wallpaper of her scroll at that very moment. But right now the older heiress needed her younger sister focused on the task at hand, and thus had to play her own part to keep her master plan on track. "Weiss, would it help at all if I told you that I had convinced father to let in an outside participant, someone not affiliated with any prep school, finishing school, or Academy?" This would cause the younger Schnee to look at the older woman with confusion, not knowing how to react to this statement as Winter took her sister's hand and began leading her out of the bedroom and beginning the journey to the Training Hall in silence. It wasn't until they would pass by a portrait of their deceased mother Krystal Schnee that the younger heiress dared to break the silence that had permeated between the two of them.

"Winter, what was our mother like?" Weiss would frown as she looked back at the portrait with a frown as she searched her memories for answers while waiting for her older sibling to reply.

Winter would actually stop and ponder the question for a few moments before turning her to her sister with a puzzled expression on her face. "Why would you ask such a bizarre quest-" The older heiress would stop mid-sentence as realization seemed to hit her full on like a freight train hitting the wall of a factory before frowning sadly. "Our mother was a wonderful woman Weiss; for if our father is a demon that tramples over the dreams of a hopeful Dust shop owner, then mother was the angel that soothed and tempered his vengeful spirit." She would make her way back over to the portrait of their fallen matriarch and look up at it with a bizarre mixture of pride and shame, the woman's visage had been captured in a moment of elegance as she was standing outside the family garden in a flowing white dress. Her pale hair done up in a rather dignified bun and her neck adorned with a shimmering, heart-shaped sapphire and a loving smile upon her face.

"Most of the other business families referred to her as an angel hidden beneath Gideon's black ice, both for her beauty and the way that she managed to pacify our father before peaceful negotiations devolved into plans for a hostile takeover." Unbeknownst to Winter, Weiss would stand by her older sibling as she looked up at the portrait of the now-deceased Krystal Schnee, biting her lip quietly as she absorbed what she was being told in silence.

"That's great and all, but that's not what I meant. You've sort of just talked about her as a wife, but what I want to know is how was she as a mother?" The younger heiress was curious for the sake of genuinely needing to know, even though her sister seemed less than enthused about what she wanted to talk about.

"She was a very delicate woman at first, there was nothing she wouldn't do to make sure her little ones had the best then possibly could." Winter's expression would turn sour as the older Schnee balled a fist in anger, the leather from the glove that she wore sounded audibly from the action. "But after Father broke her, she changed..started sending me off to etiquette classes, asking me to dress in a more dignified manner. Much like the doll he had made her become." Now agitated at having to remember Krystal Schnee in the sorrow that would later turn out to be her final years of living, Winter would turn on her heel and begin the march towards the Training Hall once again. "Come on, you know how Father hates it when we're not on time."

Weiss would continue to stare up at her mother's visage while contemplating what she had just been told. "An angel that soothed and tempered the demon." The heiress would think back to the boy she had left chained up in the private Bullwark she had taken to get there, within a few days he was likely to be dead from starvation and since clearing out a dead body was nothing new for the servants of the manor it would be one less headache for her to worry about. "He had his chance to be at my side months ago, yet he insisted upon being "Too Sweet", so starving to death in a darkened, musty plane seems fitting for a filthy mongrel such as him!" But as she turned around to follow her sister, the heiress's mind would flash a glimpse of Ruby's saddened expression once she would learn of the wolf's fate.

"What Ruby doesn't know, won't hurt her."

 _ **You know what the hardest thing about getting back into unfinished stories is? Getting back into the same mindset you were in when you began them, this one in particular takes quite a bit of doing as I had to re-watch the White trailer twice, then Chapter 3 and the back half of Chapter 4 of Volume 3, then listen to the song that sort of inspired it: "Get Yourself Addicted" by Vextemper. But once I did, all I needed was time.**_

 _ **More to come tomorrow**_


	9. Faceless

_**I really should learn to stick to one story, one roll of the eight sided dice later I decided to move forward with this bizarre tale involving the Schnee family.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth who have a brilliant idea to bring RWBY to theaters, make sure to head over to the applicable website in order to see if they're screening in your city (Fanfiction prevents me from listing them unfortunately) Bálor..yeah he's still my responsibility.**_

 _ **Three Years Ago, Clemency Opera House, Haven.**_

The worst thing about being in-between missions was the downtime, downtime meant that his sister decided what they would do with the day. Nine times out of ten it was something he really had no interest in being a part of, and usually involved something trying to make him more cultured and dignified.

Well nothing screamed culture and dignity than a night at the opera, which meant the worst of all possible outcomes: A tuxedo.

"Godammit sis, you know how I despise having to wear these stupid getups!" The silver-haired young man would pout as he tried to remove the annoying black jacket with an audible snarl, only to be silenced by a firm slap to the back of his head. "Son of a-"

"Silence! You can be a curse spouting mongoloid all you want when we're on the field but you will not embarrass me tonight, are we clear?!" The lynx Faunus who had taken him into her care was a hard-ass, no nonsense woman that liked to play the part of loving matron if it meant an elevation in status. On this night she had chosen to wear a shimmering black dress with a revealing slit at the hips, no doubt in a less then subtle attempt to bag her some attention from many of the men who no doubt had deep pockets and a wandering eye. "Now you are going to go to your seat and keep your fucking mouth shut." She would hiss into his ear before letting out a fake dainty laugh as she had begun getting into character, leaving him to trudge off towards his seat in the balcony while praying that some impromptu mission would come up on his scroll and allow him a small taste of freedom.

 _"It's nights like this that make me wish that I hadn't be dragged into the military, why couldn't I have been one of the guys who had been shot?_ " The wolf would plop down in his seat and sigh in relief as the lights dimmed, obviously the show was starting even as the seat beside him remained empty, "Different week, same old shit: I have to suffer through some boring show while sis makes her cash hand over fist…literally." He would gag audibly as visions of whatever depraved acts the blonde lynx was no doubt stooping to in order to keep living well beyond what the means of a military stipend should afford the two of them.

A voice on the loudspeakers would release him from whatever sickening thoughts were flowing through his mind. "Ladies and Gentleman..please welcome, Weiss Schnee."

A soft melody would begin to play from a piano that couldn't be seen, it was nice and relaxing and threatened to lull him into a slumber that would no doubt be rewarded with a thorough disciplinary lecture if his sibling were to return right now.

But that's when the heavens decided to open up, and the voice of an angel brought him back to reality.

 _Mirror._

 _Tell me something._

 _Tell me who's the loneliest of all?_

He felt his heart skip a beat as he listened to this angel sing her song of loneliness, something he could very much relate to even as the tempo of the piano picked up as he was lost in the depths of her voice.

But it was the aria she sung that proved to be the thing that would set future events in motion, her song moving his heart to cry tears as if feeling the depths of her despair himself and before he knew it the young man would find himself applauding with the rest of the spectators as his sister silently slipped into the seat next to his with a small smile of approval.

"Finally, you're starting to warm up to the culture of the higher functioning people." The lynx Faunus would cross her legs as the opening fanfare began to play, even as her silver-haired sibling was reflecting back on the owner of the angelic voice that had moved his soul.

 _"I don't know who this girl was..but so help me Dust I will find her."_ He could feel his body tensing up in anticipation of that fated day. _"And when I do, I will win her heart and spend the rest of my days in worship with her as my queen."_

 _ **Present Day. Schnee Family Manor, Training Hall**_

Weiss would find herself look out over the sea of usual suspects that were lining the training room: A veritable sea of the high-class elite prep school elite, fair-haired dopes that were dressed in expensive and well maintained armor. There was zero sign of this outsider that Winter had managed to rope into participating in what was no doubt going to be a rather long and dull tournament style competition.

 _"I wonder if Father changed his mind and barred this outsider from competing."_ The younger heiress would look to her father, who was talking quietly with her older sibling who seemed rather calm despite the gravity of the situation that awaited them.

"Lady Weiss, I promise to win this match for the glory of the Verdant family!" One of the preps would call out to her in an attempt to curry her favor, which were them followed by a deluge of similar declarations from the other men.

Weiss would nod quietly and give a forced smile as she tried to maintain an air of dignity while internally wishing she could hurl herself from the elevated platform they now stood upon.

"It pleases me to hear such enthusiasm from you fine men today, it's clear to me that you all share the spirit of what it means to be a champion of a Schnee woman. Now, normally we would have a rather dignified series of one on one competitions between you lot to determine which of you lot would earn the privilege to champion my youngest daughter Weiss-" Gideon would be interrupted by a sudden coughing spell, using a handkerchief already dotted with several red stains before gesturing for Winter to continue his speech, causing Weiss to frown in confusion as her sister seemed to smile at this development before stepping up and looking down at the crowd of young men before you.

"In the interest of time and out of respect for my father's failing health, we will instead host an open free-for-all, with the last man standing being declared champion."

The crowd below them would burst into a chorus of shock and disgust and what awaited them.

"A free for all?"

"How barbaric!"

"My father would never approve of such madness!"

Hearing these words would send the younger Huntress's blood into a frenzy at the whining mob below her, wanting nothing more then to wipe them out and represent herself in the upcoming competition.

"SILENCE YOU FOOLS!" Weiss would snarl as slammed her palms on the railing, surprised at the loud echo that came from it. "You all were selected from the elite of your perspective classes for your superior combat skills, not the size of your inheritance! The pale-haired Huntress would straighten her posture and glare down her nose at her would-be champions. "If you honestly think that a sizable dowry is enough to impress me then you not only disrespect me but you dare to spit upon the Schnee-family name and that is one thing I will NOT tolerate!" The men would look up at her with varied levels of stunned expressions upon their well-scrubbed and moisturized faces, surprised at her sudden outburst.

Little did she know that one of the men below was smirking, grateful for the distraction that she was providing for him.

"Now I expect you to give each other no quarter, do what it takes to incapacitate your opponents and emerge victorious!" She immediately regretted saying those words as she felt her father's sneer upon her back like a ghastly chill, surely he would see such actions as a victory towards his own ends as he sat back upon his throne and gestured for his girls to do the same.

"As my daughter as said, I expect no quarter to be given to a downed opponent. Show me the strength that brought you all to the top of your class!" A loud buzzer would follow the patriarch's words, sending the young men below into a frenzied rage while he smiled serenely at the carnage that was now unfolding below him never knowing that both of his daughters each held a look of disgust for the man that sired them.

Winter would scan the chaos of testosterone, metal and blood for the rogue that she had managed to sneak in after buttering her father up with some pleasantries (and a fifth of bourbon.). She had expected the format of the battle to be changed due to some convenient double-booking on her part, having switched the Champion's Gala to later that night rather then a week later.

 _"Where is that fool, I didn't spent a decent chunk of my personal fortune to outfit him with the best equipment to-"_ It was then that the oldest heiress would notice one of the participants casually leaning against the wall, watching the battle unfold without a care in the world. _"What on Remnant is he doing?_ " A scream would break Winter out of her silent observation as one of the Mistral Academy students went down in a heap after being struck by another man's hammer, before grabbing a second student would wipe him out with a dust round fired from a pair of tonfa.

"This is a massacre..a massacre all for the chance to be a Champion to someone who could possibly care less." Winter would raise an eyebrow at her younger sister's choice of words, noticing the evil glower she was casting upon the remaining participants.

"I honestly would take the mutt over any of the dreck beating each other's brains in, at least he believes in something..even if it is stupid."

The older heiress would feel her lips curl up into a sneer as she recalled the individual her sister was referring to, and how she had dealt with the young man afterwards.

 _"Beliefs could be twisted sister, given just the right incentive even a good man can commit a murder spree if he believes he's doing it in the name of God."_

"Arrgh!" Another student would go down even as Weiss winced in disgust at the blood-curdling display of violence as she stood up to leave, causing Winter to tense up suddenly as she knew Gideon would want her to stick around for the finale.

"Weiss, where do you think you're going? You know our father would consider this direct insubordination, you'd be completely disowned-

Weiss would unsheathe Myrtenaster only to be met by her sister's own blade as blue eyes met dark grey in fierce defiance.

"Dammit Winter I don't care!" Weiss would grit her teeth as the sounds of battle intensified below them, no doubt more hapless school boys were striking each other down all in the hope of gaining her favor like some prize trophy. "We both know this is wrong, and no amount of power over the company or money in the world can make me feel good about what's going down there!" the younger Schnee would calmly assume a fighting stance and prepare to defend her viewpoint via battle if necessary

"Umm, excuse me!" A voice would break through the heavy tension that flooded the platform where the three family members were, causing them to look down at the now quiet battlefield where a lone fighter in a colorful mask would be leaning against the wall with only a few minor gashes to show for his efforts. "Does this mean I win?"

Gideon would stand up from his throne and step towards the railing, his gaze hardening in an attempt to read this stranger.

"Warrior, you have indeed earned the right to champion my daughter Weiss in the upcoming competition." The patriarch would look over his wounds with an air of approval, seemingly satisfied with what he saw. "Tell me young man..what kingdom do you serve, I wish to offer a sizable donation to your Academy in honor of your victory."

Winter would raise an eyebrow at this sudden burst of philanthropy from the usually hardened businessman, looking down at the mysterious man below them.

"Begging your pardon Master Gideon but I serve no one kingdom, a man of my..upbringing isn't exactly welcomed into the militaries of Remnant. However if you're serious about donating in my honor, then might I suggest the Sun Dragon orphanage in Patch: You would be doing a good deed for the children, gaining some good press for the SDC, and I'm pretty sure there's a tax break in there somewhere sir."

Gideon would stare down at the young man coldly as the sisters each shared a worried look at the masked man's brash words, only to be even further surprised as their father began laughing from his belly.

"Hahahaha, strong in body and in mind. You intrigue me warrior." Gideon would snap his fingers, causing Winter to sheathe her weapon and ready her scroll instead. "Make sure that this Sun Dragon orphanage gets a healthy donation Winter dear. And as for you my strange friend, I trust you'll be in attendance for this evening's gala?" The edged tone in the older man's voice would ensure that the pleasant sounding question would ensure the stranger that it was less of a choice and more of a statement.

"Most assuredly Master, it's not everyday that someone of my standing is able to share the spotlight with the king of the Dust Mining industry, as well as his two lovely daughters." The masked fighter would kneel to the three of them before turning on his heel and preparing to leave the arena and get some much needed rest, only to stop once he heard the sound of someone landing behind him.

"And just where do you think you're going, do you honestly expect to leave the presence of a Schnee without revealing who you are?" Weiss would make her way over to the strange warrior that would soon be representing her supposed best-interests in the Vorbei an der Mantel, she was already less then pleased at having someone appointed to fight in her stead but the fact that he was being such a pandering suck up to her tyrant of a father would anger her to no end. "Hey! I demand that you remove that mask and tell me who you are!" The pale-haired Huntress would grip the edge of his mask firmly prepared to yank it off, only for the warrior to roll out of her grip while only losing a small portion of his mask.

"Forgive me princess, but it goes against my religion to remove this mask..even in death I am forbidden to remove it." He would once again kneel before the younger woman, not expecting him to react so calmly to her actions. "As for who I am..I believe that Master Gideon referred to me as "Warrior" so if you must refer to me by name then I ask that you use that moniker." The masked warrior would stand once again before finally leaving the rather empty area and leaving Weiss in quiet silence, intent on resting and healing his wounds before having to appear later that evening.

After all, no true gentleman would leave a lady to dance alone.

 _ **Bad News for me, I'm unable to attend the RWBY screening in my own city due to classes. I'm not a happy man right now, but hopefully you all can go and enjoy yourselves. Although I did manage to put in support for a future Volume 2 screening so there's hope for me down the line.**_

 _ **Ta-Ta for now!**_


	10. Dance Away

_**It's 3:30 A.M. ...**_

 _ **Do you know where your Ice Queen is?**_

 _ **Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth**_

 _ **Present Day, Schnee Family Manor, Women's Dressing Area**_

With the Champion's Gala merely a few hours away both sisters were in the midst of having themselves prepped for that evening's festivities while a team of maids were busy helping them with their makeup, hair, and anything else that would make sure that the Schnee women would shine brightly beside their patriarch.

But beauty was the last thing on Weiss's troubled mind, still somewhat concerned over having to not only be represented in a competition where she believed she could beat Maxwell Eberle with her eyes closed and one hand behind her back but she was being represented by a total unknown in this so-called "Warrior".

"You seem distracted Weiss, I assumed you would be pleased that none of those Academy boys had won." Winter would lean her head back as her lustrous pale hair was thoroughly being washed and conditioned for the night ahead of them. "I told you that I would get you someone who might actually be worth your time little sister, trust me this will be a moot point by the time the Vorbei is over and you stand at the head of our company."

The younger heiress would fume visibly and swat away the maids currently working on her makeup, more annoyed at their interference on their conversation then anything they were doing to her.

"Leave us!" Weiss would tremble visibly out of fury as the servants gave rushed apologies before hurrying out of the room and leaving the sisters to their heated discussion. "For the last time I have absolutely no interest in this..act of succession or whatever you and our father have cooked up, I'm simply here to make sure that he goes to Hell knowing what his precious little girl really thinks of him."

Winter would sigh and peel away the facial strips that were helping her skin stay smooth and glistening before standing up out of her seat and facing her younger sibling with a hardened glower.

"I can understand your hatred for our father, I'd be an idiot to not notice the insane amount of defiance you have towards his policies even before coming here a few days ago." The older heiress would sigh tiredly as she examined her reflection in the mirror, moving aside a few stray strands of white hair, looking at the younger woman in the mirror whose pale blue eyes were alight with frustration. "It's why you chose the road of a Huntress, why you partnered with a literal facsimile of Little Red Riding Hood." Winter would smile slightly, knowing what she was about to say next would definitely push her buttons. "Which reminds me, is she still fooling around with her big bad wolf?" The older woman would move away as Weiss had decided to throw a vase her way, her smile widening at her violent reaction. "Still a bit of a sore spot, as I suspected you continue to sweat the small stuff and letting yourself get riled up over a nobody."

She would turn to see her sister continuing to tremble, her muscles proceeding to spasm in response to her pent up anger.

"You don't know what kind of Hell that **thing** has put me through: from the minute he stepped into Beacon he has shown absolute disrespect for the rules, does whatever he wants whenever the mood strikes him, and all the nonsense he's gotten into alongside Ruby, and the way he treats women like toys it's just sickening-" Weiss's furious tirade would be cut short by a smack to the top of her head, the shock from the blow causing her more pain than the actual blow itself as Winter simply huffed in disapproval.

"And yet for all the 'chaos' and the 'madness' that you claim to have endured, you stand before me throwing a tantrum like a spoiled child who didn't get her way! Our mother would be ashamed of this kind of behavior from you." The pale-haired woman would sigh before heading over to the intercom and let her finger hover over the buzzer before looking back sympathetically, biting her lower lip as if she were debating on something before taking a breath and hitting the buzzer. "We're done here, please send the servants back in." Winter would shake her head quietly before returning to her seat, careful to avoid the shards of vase that were on the floor. "If you really want to prove yourself superior in her eyes then let this be the stage you use to hone your skills and grow as a person, don't let the problems back home distract you and instead immerse yourself into the journey ahead." The elder heiress would say no more as the servants made their way back inside the dressing room and once again began the long process of primping and preening the sisters, even as Weiss tried to reflect on what her sister had told her even as two maids guided her back to her seat as her mind thought back on one of many incidents that served to widen the divide between the woman she wanted to be and who she was at the current moment.

 ** _Two months Earlier, Beacon Academy, RWBY Dorm_**

She still had trouble believing it most nights; but as Weiss Schnee looked at herself in the bathroom mirror she had to face the fact that while she was technically a free woman in terms of any legal ramifications, but it had come at the cost of her dignity because now she was living with the veiled threat of some sick favor that had been placed upon her by a Faunus boy who exemplified everything that bigots like her father and Cardin Winchester preached about: A lying, cheating, swindling pile of garbage who deserved to be locked in a cage.

 _"And yet everyone treats him like he's some kind of patron saint, a golden boy who can do no wrong in their eyes."_ The heiress grit her teeth as she recalled the feral growl in his voice as he laid down the reason for why he saved her.

 _"it would break Ruby's heart if anything bad were to happen to you, and that is the only reason why I decided to spare you from the darkness I had to endure growing up."_

She would slam her palms down on the polished sink while shaking her head in disgust at the memory playing through her mind, how his eyes softened as he spoke Ruby's name despite the fact that he was leaning against Yang heavily during their interrogation by Ozpin.

"How could he claim that he was doing everything for Ruby when at the end of the day he ended up dating Yang, and then to make such an asinine deal with me afterwards just to make sure that I stay in line!" Weiss shuddered at the speculation of whatever depraved fantasies that the wolf Faunus had been harboring for her since the young man's first days at Beacon, no doubt that he was no better than the rest of the other boys who hit on her: Only after her money, her body, or the prestige that came with dating a Schnee. Jaune Arc was an exception to this rule, only because there were some points in his vain attempts to get a date that she honestly found him funny.

"Well whatever pathetic little scam that he expects to gain out of this doesn't matter, because when the time comes I'm going to put him through a nightmare so awful that he regrets EVER making this deal!" With that firm resolve in mind and the flames of revenge burning in her heart she would head back to her bunk to rest up for the next day, however as her eyes began to close she would hear a small giggle from up in her partner's bunk.

"I can't believe that he actually managed to do it, this is gonna be so awesome!" Ruby would clearly be laughing at yet another antic that her furry idiot had no doubt concocted to show his loyalty to that..Gun Club of his.

 _"Oh Ruby, what do you see in that rabid nutcase, what does he have that I don't?"_ She refused to let the tears brimming and threatening to fall down her face and send her into sorrow, her precious rose going further and further down a rabbit hole that would no doubt lead to ruin.

"Weiss. Weiss get up, you really need to come and see this!" Yang's jubilant voice would drag her out of a less then fruitful sleep even as she turned away and attempted to try and return to the blank void of sleep, only to feel the impatient blonde literally drag her out with her covers and carry her off into the hallway.

"Dammit Yang you put me down this instant, I don't care what elaborate stunt that your moronic asshole of a boyfriend has set up I don't want any part of it!" She growled at the sensation of being set down as the blonde brawler turned her to face the wall, leaving the heiress to look up at what was normally a fully functional if under-decorated wall.

Except that on this day it had been thoroughly painted to display the members of Team RWBY, JNPR, CFVY, even a grumpy Team CRDL along with even Sun and Neptune smiling back at her while holding up the Bullet Club's 'Too Sweet' hand gesture. "Of all the underhanded, egotistical, stupid-" Weiss would be about to turn away from the mural when she noticed the message above the illustration, causing her to frown in confusion. **"True friendship..it's 4 Real."** The heiress would read it aloud and think back to the night before, hearing her partner giggling at something on her scroll.

"So this is what she was laughing at last night, that mutt must have spent the entire night working on this." The pale-haired Huntress would frown, looking around for the mural's creator, only to find the silver-haired Faunus being chewed out by a less than pleased Goodwitch. "Does she really think that he's actually going to face any kind of punishment, that fleabag is a made man thanks to Oz-" She would stop upon seeing no trace of Ozpin in the hallway, usually he would be the voice of reason that would keep Glynda from giving him some much deserved punishment.

Yang would pout quietly as she watched the bespectacled Huntswoman giving her beloved wolf what was no doubt a long repressed lecture for his actions, even as the amber-eyed Faunus struggled to remain awake. "Ozpin's away at Signal for some big meeting for the Academy heads, so Goodwitch is in charge of anything and everything Ozpin usually handles." The blonde would smile sadly as he sleepily made his way back to her side, gently scratching behind his ear even as he groaned in annoyance. "C'mon big guy, let's get you to bed..you can worry about your punishment later."

Weiss would step aside to let the couple pass before seeing him stop and turn back to the heiress with a weak fire in his eyes.

"Not so stupid now is it princess?" The wolf Faunus would lean against the taller blonde as she lead him back to his dorm room.

 _ **Present Day**_

Weiss would sigh as she felt her hair being gently pulled into a rather fashionable bun by one of the maids, for a moment she found herself smiling at the woman looking back at her: Strong, beautiful, elegant, a woman worthy of being called a Master Huntress, someone who was fit to be called Ruby's partner in more than a professional sense

"Beautiful, simply marvelous." Gideon's raspy voice would cause Weiss's blood to run cold as she finally remembered why that she was being dolled up, forced to act like a prop while someone else did her fighting for her.

She was an angel in white, trapped inside a cage of her father's cold fiery ambitions.

 _ **Present Day, Men's Dressing Area**_

Pain was something the warrior knew all too well, it was a constant reminder that he was still alive, that he was still someone of value in a world dominated by the strong and the corrupt.

But even so, the burning pain he felt upon his tightly dressed wounds was troublesome as he was slowly slipped into his tuxedo jacket for the evening as Maxwell Eberle was busily coming back his hair while humming a jaunty tune.

"You know, you should really remove that garish mask you wear if you want to score points with Lady Weiss." He would chuckle and admire his handsome visage in the mirror as he had opted to drape himself in a deep purple cape in addition to the tuxedo that both Champions had been gifted. "Besides, it's not everyday that one gets to spend time with a woman as elegant as a Schnee..unless you're in my position that is."

The masked man would be grimacing in disgust as he did some final adjustments of his own, straightening and adjusting his gold lined mask as he thought about how best to approach things with Weiss.

"Master Eberle, while I admire the fact that you take pride in your position here I still choose to view the people we represent on the battlefield as creatures of beauty and grace, the lucky few who can carry the weight of a world in their womb not unlike the mighty Atlas." Warrior would wince as he popped his knuckles and put on a small token of his religion, a reminder of what helped him survive up to this point. "They are to be respected and admired, regardless of wealth or social lineage."

The battle school wunderkind would look back at his fellow champion before rolling his eyes and turning on his heel and preparing to exit the dressing room. "Whatever, freak." He would snort and saunter off, no doubt wanting to make a confident entrance to wow the masses of blue bloods that awaited them in the grand ballroom leaving the masked champion to collect his thoughts and ponder the road ahead.

 _"I'm a Champion, someone who fights to uphold the honor of the individual they fight for. I must do my part to help Miss Weiss to achieve whatever goals she has set for this strange competition."_ He would whisper a small prayer to the heavens before exiting the dressing room, only to find himself face to face with the heiress herself.

Unfortunately, it would be the heiress he would soon be competing against as Winter smiled thinly in approval of what she saw.

"You truly are a magnificent specimen Warrior, it's a shame that we find ourselves on opposite sides of this little contest." The older woman would gently stroke his cheek with one hand while using his free hand to slowly lift up his mask, looking straight into his vibrant blue eyes. "My sister has no idea of just how wonderful a man she has at her disposal."

But the young man would gently push her hand aside and shake his head calmly as he looked back towards the large oak doors that lead to the grand ballroom.

"Lady Winter, while I appreciate your kind words..I am your sister's Champion, it would be very inappropriate if someone were to find us like this. Please excuse me ma'am." With a bow of his head he would walk towards the oak doors as two servants quickly approached to open the door for him, unaware of the elder heiress's impish grin.

"Presenting, the Warrior!" The lovely tune that had been playing during the opening waltz was cut short as all eyes turned his way, causing the masked man to straighten his posture and fold his hands behind his back even as the wealthy party-goers dissected him with their predatory gazes. Even Weiss who had been busy dancing with the overly confident Maxwell would stop to give him a curious look, raising an eyebrow at the pale snowflakes adorning his mask.

"Please, no need to stop on my account." He would nod to the musicians who would begin their song anew while he slowly looked around at the lavish setup that awaited him, the tables lined with gold trim while lavish chandeliers hung overhead creating the illusion of a sky full of stars. "It's as if they opened the heavens themselves and took a slice back with them, just for this room." He would have been content to just find a place to enjoy the faux heaven above, but a tap on his shoulder would bring him back to reality an a sharp-nosed woman was now standing in front of him.

"Excuse me young man, but would you mind giving this old gal the privilege of a dance?"

Warrior would smile pleasantly and hold out his hand for her to take, wrapping his free arm around her waist. "It would be my honor madame." He would proceed to begin to dance slowly but assuredly, earning a squeal of delight from his older dance partner as she reveled in the excitement of it all.

"O-oh my..I had heard that you were a man of great strength, but I had no idea you were such a nimble dancer as well." She would smile pleasantly as the young man blushed at her compliment, before letting out a girlish laugh as he dipped her.

"You flatter me ma'am, but I'm just a simple man from a simple village who happens to enjoy a fine dance with a beautiful woman such as yourself." The warrior would gently continue to waltz with the woman for a few minutes more until the song finally ended, bowing politely as she simply nodded her head in approval.

"Mind if I cut in Lady Wisteria?" Weiss would stand beside the grey haired partygoer, her hair tied up in an elegant bun as she wore a powder blue gown with white gloves emblazoned with the Schnee family symbol as she flashed a small smile towards the young man as she held out her hand for him to take.

"It would appear that duty calls my lad, now Weiss dear do take care now to wear out the boy." The two women would share a flighty laugh before the elder of the two would exit the dance floor as Weiss would firmly take the lead in their dance, her smile dissolving quicker then an ice cube on burning coals. "You seem to be enjoying yourself this evening, you're almost as good a suck up as Maxwell with the way you were handling things with that old crone." She would growl and stomp on his foot to further emphasize her contempt towards her masked Champion. "Oops, my apologies."

Warrior would do his best not to show the agony that was running through his feet thanks to her errant footwork, instead giving a polite smile as he twirled her about.

"Think nothing of it Miss Weiss, it's only natural to be nervous on a night such as this. Actually, I myself am a little nervous at the path that lies ahead of us." The young man would proceed to dip the heiress gently even as she smacked the side of his head as they straightened their stance. "I..really wish they would give us some clue of what kind of competition we're in for, a footrace, feats of strength, some convoluted riddle perhaps?"

She would scowl at his pleasant banter even as a more jaunty song began to play in the background, forcing a jovial laugh before leaning in close with an icy gaze.

"So what did Winter promise you: Money? A spot in her honor guard? A night with some rich celebrity you wouldn't normally have a chance with?" The younger heiress would ask her questions in a low hiss, careful to retail her happy smile as the two of them continued to dance. "Tell me what your thirty pieces of silver are worth Judas!"

The warrior would sigh, doing his best to keep his temper from blowing and causing a scene as he looked her straight in the eye.

"Do you really wanna know, if so then please join me out on the balcony my dear." He would let go of the fuming heiress and bow politely before making his way out into the cold night air, leaving Weiss to follow after him before Maxwell could ask her for another dance. She had had enough of false platitudes and pleasantries for the night and simply wanted answers from this masked buffoon before daring to trust him with anything related to her representation.

Although she would shudder once the cold air caressed her bare shoulders, making her immediately regret not bringing some kind of a coat with her beforehand.

"A-alright clown, spill the beans and tell me your time is worth!" Weiss would continue to shiver as she awaited his response, only to instead be greeted instead with his coat as he looked upon her with some concern. "Thank you…now answer my question dammit!"

He would sigh at her continued contempt towards him despite having done nothing to earn her scorn, instead he would place his hands in his pockets and stare out at the bizarre moon that hung overhead. "A few years ago, I had the peculiar misfortune of having to attend an opera with a rather uncouth client: She was vulgar, petty, obsessed with reeling in a cash cow using her feminine wiles." The masked young man would sigh as he stared down at the expansive garden maze below them. "It truly was a most deplorable night indeed."

The pale-haired Huntress would scoff in annoyance as she began tapping her foot in order for him to get to the point.

"However, that all changed once I heard the voice of an angel: One who seemed to sing of loneliness as she questioned her "Mirror" for the answers, wondering if her heart could be turned to stone." He would place his hand on the cold edge of the balcony, his body shuddering as he felt the tears trickle down his face as he was glad that such a horrible sight was hidden from her.

Unfortunately it would also keep him from seeing the look of surprise that adorned the heiress's face as she recognized the song that he was referring to, it was one that she had sung herself on more than one occasion.

"So..you want to find the woman who sings this 'song of despair' is that it?" Weiss would frown as her suspicions were confirmed, this warrior was just another piece of trash looking to win her over. "And what will you do once you find this..songstress, woo her with a song of your own? Perhaps make her your bride of some kind?"

The warrior would shake his head at her pointed questions, had it been any other individual who dared to mock his dream then he would show them no mercy before praying for their eventual understanding later on. But he know that he needed to keep his composure in order to achieve his own endgame.

"As much as I would like nothing more then for that to be the case, even I know that someone like me would never be worthy enough to be called her husband. All I want is to find her, let her know that she's not as alone as her song suggests and thank her for reminding me that even in a world of devils and monsters that there's still some light left in this cold, cruel world."

She would truly be at a loss for words after the story he had told her, on the one hand her song had clearly moved his heart on some level of emotion but he seemingly had no desire to try and win her heart through some grand, elaborate gesture. Instead he had simply wanted to thank her for shining some metaphorical light in what was probably a very unhappy time in his life, unbeknownst to him that he had in fact already done so after having shared his story with her in that moment.

 _"How could I have missed someone so quixotic in the audience that night, a man in a mask is a difficult thing to miss!"_ Weiss would furrow her brow as she tried to remember the many faces in that crowd from years ago, but before she could question him on his exact location in the audience that night she was be interrupted by the buzzing of her scroll. Then a buzzing from somewhere on her person, quickly remembering that the jacket she had draped on her shoulders belonged to her Champion before checking her scroll. "It's a message from my father, he's finally decided to announce the start of the Vorbei an der Mantel!" She would frown as she read the details over in silence, feeling her Warrior standing by her side as he too began to memorize the details.

"Your journey begins tomorrow so be sure to get as much rest as you possibly can, from this moment forth you have full access to your allotted portions of your inheritance in order to purchase supplies, travel, and anything else you need to survive."

He would frown in contemplative thought at how best to use their now-expansive travel budget, only for his thoughts to be interrupted as Weiss continued to read aloud. "Remember that just because you have the money to afford luxury travel, this by no means makes this a vacation. If you stay in one location for more then twenty-four hours, it will be deemed an automatic forfeit and you will be swiftly disowned and left to rot in whatever place you dared to languish." This would cause the Huntress to bristle in disgust as it meant they would be afforded little time to rest in-between the trials.

"Furthermore, if in the course of competition your Champion should be physically incapable of continuing or is killed, this too constitutes a forfeit and will lead to disownment." The masked Huntsman would read this aloud and feel his stomach turn in disgust, it would seem that she needed him alive as much as he did her. "Finally, any sign of refusal to compete from either Champion or his Lady shall be considered an act of cowardice, punishable by death."

Weiss would feel a cold chill crawl down her spine despite the warmth of his coat, knowing that Gideon Schnee was not the kind of individual who minced words.

They would either give this competition everything they possibly could, or be killed on the spot like rabid dogs.

 _"I guess the only question is here is whether I return to Beacon as the head of a massive Dust-mining company, or a penniless girl with no family."_ The young heiress would shudder at the thought of never being able to see her fellow classmates or her beloved partner again, as much as she dreaded dancing to her father's tune no act of defiance was worth the look of pain she imagined crossing Ruby's face when she learned of her eventual demise.

That is, if Gideon hadn't already devised a way to cover it up beforehand.

"Miss Weiss, there's no need to be afraid." The warrior would place a gentle hand upon her shoulder as he looked down at the scroll, which was now beginning to transmit coordinates to the site of their first trial. "I intend to make sure that we make it through this 'Vorbei', not just for the sake of my dream..but because your life is on the line and a true warrior never lets an innocent life by snuffed out by anyone, be they creature of Grimm or a mad Patriarch." His piercing green eyes would meet her wavering pale blues before smiling confidently. "I swear to you, that we will win the day and bring you back to the place you call Home."

Weiss couldn't believe that a masked face could emit such honest emotion, yet as she locked eyes with her Warrior, she felt the emerald flames of his conviction warm her soul. He would protect her, and ensure that she returned home to her precious Rose.

The scroll would suddenly chime once more, as a set of coordinates displayed on the screen, along with the map of the area they were headed.

"Seems like our first trial is…"

 _ **In the hands of the audience! That's right, I plan to put up a poll to let you, the Audience decide which nation the first trial of the Vorbei gets held in (as well as the corresponding Mission that accompanies it) and just to keep things interesting the missions that don't get picked will be altered to reflect the increase in danger for the next trial, this poll will be put up on my profile page and will last until Monday morning at 9 A.M.**_


	11. Backdoor Dealings

_**Just when I think I'm out of RWBY, something pulls me back in!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Other than the fanfics I write, I own nothing involving RWBY. That's all Rooster Teeth (Still waiting on that console release of Grimm Eclipse by the way)**_

That night would prove to be a restless one for Winter, having spent a majority of it doing her best to cultivate better business relationships with her future partners and eventual victims of a business merger. She; like her younger sibling had also received Gideon's messages but unlike Weiss, she was more than prepared for the mess that lay ahead of her and left the available preparations to Maxwell.

Winter had bigger fish to attend to as she found herself standing in the darkened laboratory that was usually reserved for her father's life extension treatments, without them the patriarch would have died off half a year before finally seeking his sixth opinion.

As she looked around at the various vials of bright neon-colored liquids that kept Gideon Schnee alive and somewhat kicking, her gloved hand gently grazing over one vial of sky blue colored liquid before the sounds of the automatic doors leading to her father's purification chamber opened.

"Milady, we've purified your guest as requested." A pair of guards would haul the sleep-deprived wolf Faunus and set him down on what was normally her father's examination chair, a rather cushy recliner type piece that had slots in the back where the life-extending agents were to be injected. "As you instructed he's been denied food and drink-"

Winter would hold up a gloved hand, silencing the guard speaking as she looked her pet over closely and frowning as her gaze stopped on a rather apparent shiner around his left eye. "Who is responsible for this?" The older woman would stare at the two guards, both of them staring back at her with straightened backs and eyes steeled by Atlysian Military training. "I specifically asked that he not be harmed in any way, shape, or form!" She would frown upon inspecting his eye closely, the expression lacked any concern that a normal person would show. Instead it was more like a county fair judge finding a disapproving flaw in a contest hog, Winter hated any kind of setback to her plans no matter how minute it was.

"Lady Winter, with all due respect you did leave him in solitary confinement for days with nothing to eat. It's highly likely that even someone of his background would come out…slightly feral." The guard on the left would shrug as his partner stayed quiet, instead watching Winter's reaction closely as the man continued to talk. "Perhaps he harmed himself in a fit of hunger-induced paranoia-" He would be silenced as the tired young man leaned toward Winter and whispered something indecipherable before slumping back into the chair as his stomach growled in protest, the two guards hesitated slightly at his movements as Winter got to her feet and sighed audibly. "Milady..what did he-" With lightning quick reflexes, the older heiress would draw her weapon and run it through his partner's belly with an angry snarl even as he reached to his comrade for help, only to cough up blood and slump forward against Winter even as she kicked the lifeless corpse away from her person.

"Let me be blunt: for future reference my orders are to be followed to the letter, not the spirit of the letter, not somewhat close to the letter. To. The. LETTER!" She would dismiss the remaining soldier before looking over at her wounded dog with disgust, the doors behind her opening again as a third soldier rolled in a cart with various foods and stopping at her side. "Make sure to take that wretch with you on the way out." Winter would watch as the food was laid out before the wolf Faunus who showed a slight gleam of recognition at the odors of food hanging in the air, his hands trembling as if he expected the nearby guard to start raining down haymakers even as the man was making his way over to the dead man and hefting him over his shoulder and exiting in silence.

Bálor would look up at the elder Schnee's cold gray eyes as the last he had gazed into them was following a rather boisterous go in the sack with the woman, it wasn't exactly what he had planned on doing at the time but the heiress had basically maneuvered him into a corner thanks to the fact that she had more or less blackmailed him into following her orders lest he be subjected to the rule of law.

"I guess I should be thankful for this spread before my eyes, even though I'm pretty sure you've drugged some portion of this mess." He would sniff cautiously at a nearby rack of ribs and try to ignore the angered growl of hunger from his stomach, his mouth beginning to water as his hand wandered towards a waiting plate of crab puffs. "For the record, I don't trust anything you're probably going to tell me as I'm eating. Your family's actions have spread a good bit of distrust to me as a Faunus, and your sister has pretty much ruined any goodwill you may have planned for me on a personal level." With a final nod of his head, the amber eyed wolf would grab a couple of puffs and begin chowing down quite noisily as she continued to closely watch him as he finally quelled the angry beast that was his empty stomach.

Winter would keep her face calm and stoic as she watched her silver-haired ward devour her offerings, (even though internally she was disgusted by seeing the bits of food falling out of his mouth.) the wolf's actions were disturbingly easy to read through as he was clearly attempting to disgust her enough that she would leave the room and grant him an opportunity to escape. "I apologize for my sibling's rude behavior, I assure you that we were raised better than that." The pale-haired woman would cross her arms as his eating pace slowed, an eyebrow raised in curiosity at the mention of Weiss. _"Intriguing, he seems to have some kind of affinity towards my sister after all. Perhaps I can use this to further my grip upon the poor soul."_ Her lips would curl into a mischievous grin as she began coming up with a rather dreary sob story involving Weiss being mistreated by their father.

"She doesn't speak too highly of you ya know." Bálor would set down a now empty bowl that had once been filled with fried rice, watching as her mind was no doubt trying to spin up ways to strengthen her manipulation like any halfway decent tactician would. "Doesn't surprise me though, after everything she does to try and assert her superiority over her own classmates. It turns out that she's just trying to escape your well-endowed shadow." He would grin as he noticed a momentary twitch in her calculating gaze, it might not be enough to send her into a blind rage but like a scab growing on a kid's knee he could pick at it enough that she would be irritated by any mention of her younger sibling.

"Be that as it may, my sister's personal feelings have very little to do with why I've brought you down here tonight my dear Moonlight. I've offered you this fine meal in the hopes that I could hopefully gain a favor from you in regards to some upcoming business ordeals that I find myself in the midst of." The older heiress would smile as his ears perked up in interest, she knew that people as base and low brow as the wolf Faunus made himself out to appear to be. "My father has seen fit to pit me and my sister against one another in a long-winded contest of physical endurance, smarts, and other such trifling measures in order to find out which of us is best suited to run the business when he finally passes away from his illness.

The amber-eyed Faunus's ears would twitch once more at that juicy tidbit as he meticulously speculated over the information that he had been given even as Winter continued to talk over the current situation that the Schnee sisters had currently been thrust in.

 _"The old man's creeping towards Death's door and he institutes a game instead of consulting his last will and testament? That doesn't add up at all."_ He would continue to nod and ask questions regarding the patriarch's health while continuing to mull over everything he could gather from her answers. _"Dammit, if I still had my scroll on me then I could properly research whatever the hell this Midnight Syndrome is. I'll just try and remember to add it to my to-do list once I find the thing."_ He would raise his hand calmly, interrupting her current spiel against her father's current business practices before standing up. "So what I'm struggling to understand here is: Just what in the living fuck does any of this have to do with me?" He would grab the ruby red napkin nearby and feel a twinge of pain as he was reminded of his hood-wearing friend. Lover? Teammate? _"Speaking of something that should be added to the old to-do list."_ His brow would furrow in thought even as he wiped the vestiges of food from his mouth even as he watched Winter's lips twitch in slight approval, whether it was directed towards his query or for the lone act of class he was now displaying towards the end of his buffet was left unknown.

"I'm involving you due to the certainty that my father has some sphere of influence over the Vorbei, and he will no doubt do everything in his power to ensure that all of us: Champions and progeny alike are pushed to our utmost limits, even if it means that we'll be put in some sort of danger." The steely-eyed heiress would ball her fists visibly at how often Gideon had prided himself on tipping the scales against Winter when she was out on business lunches, there was even one unfortunate incident where a business contact had propositioned her like she was some low-rent whore and not the eldest daughter of a prominent man like Gideon Schnee. It had taken all of her willpower not to stab the clearly aroused man with her salad fork that day, although given how fast the man's personal life would go to hell a mere few weeks following the day in question it probably would've been a blessing to the horny idiot.

"I want you to tail Weiss and her champion while they're out on their journey and ensure their survival above all else, my sister may never be my biggest fan but I'll be damned if our father's madness will be the thing that leads to her demise." The older woman would watch her prey's expression switch to one of bewilderment, even as she calmly pushed the cart of now empty plates aside as she walked over to the silent wolf Faunus and took his hands in hers. "Do this for me and I'll grant you any wish that you ask for once this madness is done and I stand at the head of the SDC, given that it's a feasible wish of course."

Looking over at the ruby red napkin on the discarded cart brought to mind the only thing a man in his situation could desire, and even though Winter had left him tainted in certain aspects due to earlier events this did little to change the wish that was already forming in his mind.

 _"Wait for me Little Rose, I'll do my best to keep your partner alive AND get us back home in one piece. Then I can become the kind of man you can be proud to bring home to your father…assuming Yang doesn't slam my face through a wall beforehand."_


End file.
